For nineteen-year-old Jay, Autumn should be about school, boys and week-ends out at the lake. But after a seemingly innocent sexual encounter, she finds herself plagued by strange visions and the inescapable sense that someone, something, is following her. Faced with this burden, Jay and her friends must find a way to escape the horrors that seem to be only a few steps behind. Written by Jose Tamayo
Having re-watched this movie, I’ve decided to update my notes.. upon the 2nd viewing, I feel that it was better than I originally gave it credit for.
I’ll start by saying that this was, probably, one of the more original stories that I’ve seen in a while. But, like most movies in the last few years, that aren’t reboots, remakes, and the like.. it lacked in certain key areas, because Hollywood is a shit hole, at this time. Filled with studio execs not willing to put any money into originality.
So, it seems that there is a demon, ghost, something.. which preys upon a target. This target begins to see someone following them, but no one else can see it. It could be someone you know. It could be a stranger from the crowd. But, in every case – slowly walking directly at you. The only thing you can do, is pass it on to someone else.. and for the purposes of this story, that means you have you have sex with the new person. However, this is not a real solution, because once the new person dies.. it follows you again.
Some would say that this sort of resembles the lore surrounding the, now infamous, Slenderman. And really, I think they could have made this a Slenderman movie and had it be a bigger hit.
Now, there are some things of note.
- No matter how scary this concept is to you. It is only walking.. slowly.
- The average walking speed is 3 miles an hour. Drive 75 miles, and you’re good for a day, with a little time to spare.
- Though invisible to anyone not targeted, it does have solid mass. Shooting it will stun it for a few moments, but it gets right back up again.
There are some questions unanswered.. What if…
- You move to a Cruise Ship?
- Yes, it can walk across the bottom of the ocean. But, what then? It cant exactly get onto a boat from there.
- You get sealed into a room, like an isolation “padded” institution type room?
- As seen in the movie, you have to let it in. It cant pass through walls or doors. So, eventually, you could outlast it.
- If you outlast it.. and the person who passed it to you has since died.. what happens to it then?
Now, all this is well and good. But, there are some issues I had with the movie.
- Soundtrack. This was the most annoying musical score I’ve heard since Suspiria (1977).
- Kids are dumb as hell.
- Now, it’s worth note that the director actually planned it that way.. Knowing that teenagers make crappy decisions, so do the characters in this movie. Not actually stupid, but not very well planned out, hasty, and well.. ok, stupid. You’re going to lure the ghost into a pool, then throw a toaster in to electrocute.. a ghost?? really?? Of course, it doesn’t work.. to the shock of no one, except the kids.
- What year was this supposed to be?
- I was assuming It Follows was set in the 80’s.
- Lots of full sized sedans
- No one had a computer
- No signs of the internet
- Old tube-style TV’s
- But.. there was a girl with, what looked like, an eBook reader? It was just confusing to what decade this was supposed to be.
- I was assuming It Follows was set in the 80’s.
All and all, the general feeling was awkward. Thankfully, there were no “jump scares” to speak of. But, it felt kinda slow.. really, I think the horrible musical score threw me off. Good for a Netflix rental, I wouldn’t pay to see it in the theaters (I used a gift card I got for my birthday).
As I noted above.. I’m updating this post with my 2nd viewing.
It Follows really isn’t bad.. yes, it can be a little slow at times, but that’s the pacing that works for the movie. Much like Michael Meyers in “Halloween”, the antagonist is methodical, relentless, and patient. Very little is explained, and I have to give credit for that – I hate Scooby Doo endings that give away everything and leave nothing to be questioned. Honestly, part of me doesnt WANT to know where it came from or how to stop it.
