User reviews

This is a creepy movie. It doesn't have a ton of jump scares, it isn't bloody or gory. What is has is enough creep factor to make you start looking around the room while you're watching it. Great music to help set the tone of a sense of dread. The acting is pretty good and it isn't too long. Overall a really good creepy movie that doesn't overdo it with the "sex" theme. There is plenty of tension and it starts at minute one and doesn't stop. There were no surprises and it was done "right". Definitely should be watched in a dark room at nighttime. Oh yeah, the females in the movie are really easy on the eyes. Just sayin. Worth the watch.

I just recently rewatched this film and really enjoyed it. I had forgotten how well made it is. I love the way it makes you feel tense and unsettled, but does it in a way that feels like the old school classic horror films. It's got a good pace, believable characters and feels very real. Like this could happen to you, which is why I think it works so well. It definitely is thought-provoking, and has the same kind of feeling as a John Carpenter movie. On second viewing, you start to see all the creative elements going on that all work well together. (score, choice of locations, production value, props) Some have said the idea of having a curse put on you through having sex is a little silly, but I think it's a fresh approach and like that the writer was thinking outside the box. Too many people like to bash on filmmakers, but I am here to praise people for their creativity and their hard work. It's not easy to get a film made, and I commend anybody for getting it from script to screen.

The metaphor was fine. In general, I liked the movie.

There are metaphors and subtexts in good horror movies that have been made recently. This is a good thing I think.

Greetings again from the darkness. Known for an endless stream of copycats and re-treads, the horror genre periodically surprises us with a dose of originality. Heck, we don't even ask horror filmmakers for anything too revolutionary … just give us something we haven't seen a few dozen times before. Writer/director David Robert Mitchell "gets it" and delivers a game of psycho-sexual-tag-you're-it featuring the most sinister STD ever.

A definite departure from the all-too-common teen slasher films, the slow-drip terror of this one has more in common with dread and eventuality than scream-inducing terror and "made you jump" scares. When we first meet Jay (Maika Monroe), she is a typical pushing-twenty student who enjoys leisurely swims in her suburban backyard pool, hanging out with friends, and a healthy dating scene. Well, healthy until one evening of back seat passion with Hugh (Jake Weary) sets off the above-mentioned sinistry. See Jake has purposefully "passed on" some kind of affliction that attracts a death-seeking entity who slowly, but purposefully pursues its target. Supposedly the only options are to be killed or pass it on through more passion … the worst kind of "pay it forward".

Jay is supported in her ongoing attempts to avoid the entity by her sister Kelly (Lili Sepe), her neighbor and classmate Greg (Daniel Zovatto), and Paul (Keir Gilchrist) her not-so-secret admirer who would do anything to protect her. The big catch is that only Jay can see the entity … making heroism quite elusive for her support group.

Lest there be any doubt of the dire situation, director Mitchell begins the movie with a very vivid example of the likely result in being "caught" by the entity, and adds the score from composer Disasterpeace … an ominous throwback techno-sound that would be distracting if not so fitting. This has all the makings of a breakout role for Maika Monroe, with similarities to Jamie Lee Curtis in the original Halloween movie (1978).

The low budget caused some obvious production limitations – in particular an awkward bounce from day to night and back again, and some iffy effects. However, the suburban Detroit setting provides a nice backdrop, and of special note are the Redford Theatre (est 1928) replete with its beautiful pipe organ, and the indoor swimming pool put to spectacular use in the film's climax. As long as the audience is not expecting the typical teen slasher, this creative horror film should gain an audience while putting director David Robert Mitchell on the fast track to bigger budget films.

That is the only way to review this film.

The goal of every journeyman film-maker from the beginning of the medium to the present, is to produce something that has the most impact per dollar spent.

Think of the first Night of the Living Dead. Shot on location with unknowns and local residents as extras. And the local butcher donated the entrails.

Think Ginger Snaps, which started as an obscure Canadian horror flick but found an audience because of the great writing and the charisma of its stars.

What we have here is another attempt to strike film gold by going for a high I/B ratio.

A small cast. Minimal special effects. No special sets or backgrounds.

A really clever idea, sort of a take off on the Ring which itself was a riff off a Japanese horror classic.

So what's the bottom line? Well done for what you get. Writer/Director Mitchell has a heck of a career ahead of him. Several "jump out of your seat" moments. And also a plot riff which you just know was contributed by some of the frat boys who crowd-sourced the film -- "you can get rid of the curse if you just sleep with someone, fast!"

The bad news? It is not in the same class as Living Dead or Ginger. There are lulls. There are gaps. There are times you start to wish you have purchased the extra large popcorn and coke.

Great career launch.

Does anyone else wish this had been a short film? The mood and atmosphere are so thick for the first half hour or 45 minutes and then it just trucks along for the rest of the movie without a lot of energy. Fantastic cinematography and music, but the characters are pretty limp and it's hard to care what happens to them. Once they go into the investigation part of the film, everything falls apart and it becomes a chore.

I was looking forward to seeing this film since I saw the trailers for it as it looked to be a very creepy, tense, clever, and atmospheric horror (which is what I enjoy watching). I was actually eager to watch it and there's not been many films recently I can say that about. Unfortunately, I was hugely disappointed after watching it as It Follows is a MASSIVE let down, and I can't actually believe that it has been rated so highly.

Now, people will probably say "Oh, you don't get it" or "you don't like it because there was no blood & guts"...you know, the typical childish responses you get when you criticise a "clever" film. Well, I'm not thick, and a horror doesn't have to have a ton of gore for me to enjoy, but this was just a very poor telling of what could - and should - have been a much, much creepier film.

It Follows started off well enough, setting up what I thought would be a good tone & atmosphere for the rest of the movie. It didn't pan out that way because while the tone & atmosphere were decent enough (in part), it was severely lacking in a lot of other areas such as...

1) Acting: this was VERY poor, and after the scenes with Annie at the start of the movie, some of the acting was less than convincing. Almost B-movie esk at times.

2) Thrills: a complete minimal amount of this and it was more boring than thrilling.

3) Scare/creep factor: definitely NOT a scary film and only two or three moments from throughout were creepy and gave off an uneasy feel.

4) Pace: absolutely none. The film just crawled along at snail's pace from start to end.

Oh, and speaking of the ending - what a huge disappointment that also was. I detest movies that end the way It Follows ended, but in a way it was spot on for this film as it capped off a perfectly over-hyped, slow, boring, and disappointing "horror".

Honestly, don't be taken in by the hype surrounding this film, but if you decide to watch it then good luck. I just hope you enjoy it more than what I did.

The plot I found amusing at first, as I had no idea what to think of a curse passed by intercourse. After giving it a try, It was a good concept. However, there were quite a few parts that I didn't care for, which I find common in horror/suspense movies. Characters make decisions that are just unlikely, in my opinion. Unfortunately, it seems this genre often requires people to make silly choices, or some nonsensical things to happen, to build suspense? or just because? Nonetheless, I call it poor execution.

I did love the cinematography, the fact that it does have an 80s horror feel (especially the music/soundtrack)and the acting was pretty good.

I like the fact that this movie is thought provoking, and doesn't spell everything out. So, you have to pay attention to catch or understand some of the story line. Yet, there are some things that are just unexplained, and maybe I just need to watch it again....but it wasn't that good that I would probably do that anytime soon.

I have seen a lot of reviews that speak very highly of this movie, but I kinda feel its overrated. Much like the Babadook. It is deserving of a descent score but definitely does not come close to a nearly 7/10 stars. Perhaps, its somewhat obscure plot, and/or story line? Nonetheless, its definitely worth a watch whether it leaves you frustrated, or intrigued, I think that's kinda the charm of this flick.

Finally a real horror in a long time! No more bloody, slasher crap. This is how the really scary movies were made. Suspense and fear are created by great cinematography and music.

The pace of the movie is slow and almost no to few special effects are present. I surely hope that this movie hails the return of the great horror genre: we are scared of the unknown and not violence for the sake of it.

All the young actors are promising, they really pulled it off. Kudos to the director who also wrote the script, I am looking forward to his next movie.

Go see it, you won't regret it!

Inspired by 70's and 80's horror, it follows is a refreshing psychological horror film with a simple premise and a chilling concept. The cinematography is electrifying, every shot is beautiful and the score holds brilliance, it carries a very obvious John Carpenter vibe to it. The tension is raw, avoiding cheap jump scares and relies on music. Its eerie atmosphere is extremely effective keeping you inches above your seat for the majority of the runtime. The characters are interesting, providing depth and emotional attachment, most modern horror films seem to forget the importance of character development, its nice to see the genre hasn't completely lost it yet. There are several jumps scares, but they work, as they are not carried with unnecessary piecing music jolts but with the use of disturbing and sudden imagery.

The only errors I could detect were the unconventional editing style, the transitions were a little dodgy lacking fluency, this left the film to appear choppy at times but this flaw can be easily forgiven. Its outstanding cinematography and soundtrack make up for this. The film leaves a daunting stain of disturbing after effects that follow you for a long while, with a constant reminder to always check behind your back. An exceptional low budget indie horror film, strongly recommend.

How is this scary? The only thing that scared me was how long this trash was!

From the music to the wardrobe to the set pieces to the in-camera zooms, this horror film takes us back to the 1970s and 1980s.

But that isn't the only thing that takes us back to the classics - it's also the way the story is told. We are not expected to be scared only by a barrage of jump scares or expensive CGI ghosts. Instead, we are constantly filled with the fear and dread that something is out there, lurking, slowly but inevitably approaching...

This is the way that classic horror films were presented, and it is what makes it actually good. The premise is simple, but it is interesting enough to catch your attention and hold it throughout. It stays with you after the credits roll, and you will likely talk about it in the days after you see it.

Although the supporting characters could have been developed more, I have few complaints about this movie. If you want to see a simple - but unique and stylistic - horror movie, this is for you.