It Follows ...

It Follows…

Story – 4

Writing – 2

Character – 2

Intent – 4

Acting – 3

Overall – 3 ; Free movie ticket/Redbox/Netflix

 

It can look like anyone

It will never stop

It can only be seen by those it follows

It should never touch you

Always have two ways out

Pass it to another as soon as possible

Always be ready, because it the person you passed It to dies, then once again . . . YOU’RE It!!!

Before I start let me just say, this is another tricky review for me. Although the movie is seriously lacking in many places, the story itself, and how it’s portrayed, is VERY well done. I’m truly torn between telling you, my readers, to wait for it to leave theaters or not. What I do know is this … any self-respecting horror fanatic will jump at the chance to see this film. For all others, I would recommend waiting.

Story 4 - The story is simple, but very creepy. Basically there is this thing … this thing that no one can begin to understand. No one knows what it is, where it came from, or even what it really looks like. Whether it’s a ghost, a demon, or maybe some kind of monster, no one knows! Because of this creature’s anonymity, those who can see it, or have experienced it, refer it is simply as . . . It. The It follows you, no matter where you are or what you do. This occurs after having sex with someone that the It is currently following. It will never stop following you, ever. In the story, as reveled in the previews, they tell you that it can’t be stopped, and the only way to survive the It is to pass it along to someone else. You accomplish this through the most intimate of human interactions . . . you must have sex to pass it on. This is basically the deadliest game of tag since The Ring, only without the tape, the time limit of 7 days, and you’re never truly safe since when the person you passed it on to dies then once again, you’re IT! Although the story of a phantom stalker isn’t anything new, and in fact is one of the oldest tales of terror, this new take on such a simple concept is executed well. Such a creepy entity as the It is truly a breath of fresh air in the story world of modern day horror . . . you’re LAST fresh breath that is!

Writing 2- The writing is absolutely horrible. If you were to follow and judge the writing alone then this movie would fail horribly. It doesn’t let you know clearly how the characters are related to each other until far into the film. Before that, and even a little after, you’re just assuming a lot about their relationships. Plus there is no backstory at all for any character, except a few lines of reminiscence between the main character, Jay (Maika Monroe), and her friend with the puppy dog crush on her, Paul (Keir Gilchrist). Act I and II are written solid, with a clear and solid plot point which leads you from act I to II. There are plenty of obstacles in act II that get in the Jay's way of surviving. Unfortunately there is really no plot point to take you from act II and  into act III, of which there is virtually none of. You get a beginning, a middle, and no end … which can work for a horror movie but without a second plot point the film feels unfinished.

                Now, I do like how they wrote the ending in regards to the film, not the story. It leaves it to where you can fantasize and wonder what could happen next with the characters. In fact, there is a darker side of myself which welcomes the fantasy of allowing someone to pass the It along to me. There is a part of me that would revel in the opportunity to see how long I could survive the It, how long I could run, how creative I could get in fighting back or running. But that’s the result of a good horror story and a compelling monster/ghost/demon . . . it causes your darkest side to flourish but for a bit and tempts you into letting it loose! With that said though, there is no real second plot point, no real third act, and even though the story ends well (not that I’m saying it has or doesn’t have a happy ending), it feels very unfinished.

 

Characters 2- All of the characters are very simple, nothing to them really. The only character who seems well rounded, even more so than the main, Jay, is the person who passes the It to Jay. Other than that I can basically sum up each character thusly: one’s scared, one’s horny, one is blissful, and every other characters are really just there for support. If there was some kind of back story, or even a clear indication as to who they are to each other, then it would’ve been a vast improvement. What we see a lot of from the characters are their support for the Jay and who they’re each horny for. And I say horny instead of attracted to because in this film there is no attraction, there is only sex. All lust, no love. Just not a lot of character in anyone except Jay and the person who gave her the It.

 

Intent 4 - This story isn’t intended to scare, not like Insidious or The Exorcist was supposed to. Its meant to creep you out and I must say, in my opinion, job well done. The concept itself is creepy. An invisible and deadly force consistently and relentlessly following you, all while slowly walking and changing shape. It’s like a terminal illness that you can see, slowly following you wherever you go only for it to inevitably end your life in the most brutal and horrific manner. Think Michael Myers…24/7! But with all of that, the concept is really nothing without the right presentation of it, and they do a spectacular job in presenting and showing this mysterious, quiet, and deadly force. It isn’t something I want to try and describe really. Instead, it something you’ll just have to experience for yourself, and I hope you do!

 

Acting 3- The acting was average. I mean, no one is going to win any awards here for their performances, but you rarely find that level of performance in a horror film anyway. Point is, they did their job, they did it well enough to fulfill their characters, especially with what it looks like they had to work with, and the rest lies in the hands of the It!

 

                As a side note I really want to point out something very important to me, something a lot of people get offended by but only due to not seeing this element of modern day movies in the right light. There is a lot of sex and nudity in this film, A LOT! I mean, the way you survive is by having sex so, yeah, there’s going to be a lot of the dragon with two backs making an appearance. But this is what’s important . . . it ALL serves to further the story or character. Every shot of a breast, every scene with a humping couple, it all serves a purpose for the story and to that I say hump on. Now, with so many movies now and days just throwing in sex or a couple of Hollywood “perfect” breast to try and get a few more extra bucks from Joe Pervert, I find it refreshing when a film focuses more on the story than on the act itself when performing a scene with nudity or sex.

 

                Relation – The film reminds me of the concept in The Ring (the end of it at least), where you survive by passing it to someone else. The difference is instead of making a copy of a tape and showing it to someone else . . . you have sex. MUCH less complicated . . . . . for some. The force itself, the It, is like that of the ghost from The Grude and Michael Myers from Halloween. Relentless and brutal, an evil which, when exposed, WILL consume you eventually. It’s slow, only walking, but that just adds to the creepiness, the torture. This is a truly unique creature, whatever it is, and I hope we see more like it in the future!