Catch it if you can.

Rating: 8/10 (12 January 2017)

We're all familiar with the old slasher movie trope 'Have sex and die'; well, that's what happens in It Follows, but it's not a machete wielding maniac who comes a-calling after its characters bump uglies but rather a deadly STD: a Sexually Transmitted Demon!
After dropping her knickers for boyfriend Hugh (Jake Weary), pretty teenager Jay (Maika Monroe) is informed that she is now being followed by a supernatural entity that will kill her if it catches up with her, and that the only way to stop it from doing so is to 'pass it on'. Understandably upset, Jay confides in her sister Kelly (Lili Sepe) and friends Paul and Yara (Keir Gilchrist and Olivia Luccardi), who are somewhat sceptical but willing to help. With the malevolent being approaching at walking speed, Jay has plenty of time to consider her options, but must keep an ever watchful eye out for the creature, which can take on many different guises and is invisible to the uninfected.
Like its monster, It Follows moves at a steady pace, but is never dull thanks to its ingenious plot, engaging performances from its talented young cast, and spot-on handling from writer/director David Robert Mitchell, who cleverly keeps the viewer as much on their toes as the film's central character. While the subject is somewhat reminiscent of J-horror classic Ringu, the atmosphere Mitchell achieves is more akin to the foreboding tension of John Carpenter's Halloween, with careful framing of each shot leading to heightened tension, and a suitably brooding synth score (by Disasterpeace) only adding to the fear factor. Gore is minimal, but effective when used (the early sight of one victim with her leg bent backwards, knee broken open, shows the true horror of the curse).
In a world where so many horror films are content with delivering cheap, jump scares, and practically non-existent character development, It Follows makes for a very refreshing change.