A Few Words About A few words about...™ It Follows -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

Robert Harris · Jul 21, 2015

If there is a single litmus test for a true horror film, it must be the need to either squint, or place a hand in front of one's eyes at some point during the unspooling of a film.

It Follows is such a film.

It's literate, concise, with a small cast and decent budget, and is open enough as far as the story it tells to keep the audience wondering precisely what is going on for its 100 minutes.

In short, it works.

I generally don't discuss plot, but this one is seemingly simple. Or is it.

A teenage girl, meets the right guy, and decides that he'll be the one with whom she'll share herself. It doesn't go as planned, and as a result, she takes over his position of being "followed," by precisely what, we're never certain.

The trick here is that by having sex with someone else, you're able to pass along the "follow" function, and possibly move on with your life. Is this a film about STDs? Not certain.

But it all works, and it's a great way to spend 100 minutes in the dark.

Shot with an Arri Alexa Plus, and taken through post in 2k, the resultant Blu-ray is a perfect representation of the DI.

Recommended

RAH

Dr Griffin · Jul 21, 2015

I haven't seen this yet, but when I saw the trailer I thought is was an interesting idea.

Charles Smith · Jul 21, 2015

On a friend's advice, I'd wanted to catch this in the theaters (apparently it didn't have a really wide release or long engagements, and we were fortunate to have it here) but I failed to act in time, so watched the Blu-ray a few days ago.

Loved it.

If only other so-called horror film makers would take a few lessons from this one.

TravisR · Jul 21, 2015

I really liked this movie in the theater and seeing it again on Blu-ray, I enjoyed it even more. You can tell that John Carpenter was a big influence on the movie and its makers but that influence didn't become artistic theft like many other horror movies.

Jim*Tod · Jul 21, 2015

Agreed. I watched the blu ray last week and was impressed by how well it was made. One of those films which can be read a number of ways. The setting is the saddest looking suburb I have ever seen ---- it was shot in and around Detroit. The interiors of the homes remind me of those odd gloomy apartments in David Lynch movies. Loved the way the shots were framed for widescreen and the use of moving camera.

Oblivion138 · Jul 21, 2015

I missed the train on this one. Saw it in the theater, and just plain didn't like it. Wasn't scary, and the climax was a complete non sequitur. Glad that many other people seem to be enjoying it, but the appeal escapes me. Mind you, I didn't hate the movie. In a way, that would almost be preferable. At least that would be a strong reaction. Which trumps no reaction. haha Unfortunately, the film simply made me feel nothing.

Sam Posten · Jul 21, 2015

I enjoyed it but the third act was a little weak. Still worthy of your time!

Bryan^H · Jul 21, 2015

I thought this was an average horror movie with a great musical score(very 80's synth style). I think one viewing is enough for me so I won't buy the Blu-Ray. I really wish David Robert Mitchell's first film 'The Myth Of The American Sleepover' was available on Blu-Ray. I really liked that movie, so much so that I watched 'It Follows'.

Tino · Jul 21, 2015

I liked it a lot. Original and derivative at the same time. Great score. Creepy. Atmospheric.

Adam Lenhardt · Jul 21, 2015

Probably the most unnerving film I've seen this decade. With one or two wink-and-nod exceptions, there are no jump scares. It's not a slasher movie. The rules of the evil at its center are simple, introduced early, and stuck to throughout the movie. This is a movie about slow, inevitable dread, not Michael or Jason leaping out of the shadows with a knife. The protagonists hardly ever make stupid decisions to serve the plot. The threat is largely unknowable, and scarier for it.

The depressed suburbs of Detroit are a character in and of themselves.

This movie is going to make Maika Monroe a Hollywood leading lady, and rightfully so, but it should also boost the careers of Jake Weary and Lili Sepe, who were both excellent.

Cineman · Jul 21, 2015

Adam Lenhardt said:
Probably the most unnerving film I've seen this decade. With one or two wink-and-nod exceptions, there are no jump scares. It's not a slasher movie. The rules of the evil at its center are simple, introduced early, and stuck to throughout the movie. This is a movie about slow, inevitable dread, not Michael or Jason leaping out of the shadows with a knife. The protagonists hardly ever make stupid decisions to serve the plot. The threat is largely unknowable, and scarier for it.

The depressed suburbs of Detroit are a character in and of themselves.

This movie is going to make Maika Monroe a Hollywood leading lady, and rightfully so, but it should also boost the careers of Jake Weary and Lili Sepe, who were both excellent.

Actually, it was the bending of the rules of engagement and the inexplicable decisions made by some of the protagonists that annoyed me the most about It Follows. Example;

for whatever reason, the first fellow seemed to know all the rules (btw, why tie up his handoff "victim" just to give her the details? Did he think she would bolt mid-sentence if he didn't?). However, with rare exception that I can recall, none of the other characters "told" their handoffs what they now needed to know, must know, in order to pass it along as quickly as possible and avoid certain death. And, of course, that person needed to pass along the info to the next one and so on. Otherwise, the instant that certain death occurred to your handoff victim, back the threat would come to you. And that is exactly what kept happening. Seems to me one of the most important rules was to tell your handoff victim what was in store for them unless they handed it off again in a big hurry and told their victim what they had in store for them unless they also handed it off quickly.

But that critical rule seemed to elude too many in the line up. Or did they just forget? It really violated the internal logic of the movie, imo.

Still, there were creepy moments and I was pleased to see a horror movie that wasn't overly scored with music to burst your eardrums and loaded with over the top CGI nonsense.

Patrick Donahue · Jul 22, 2015

It Follows causes much debate among film fans, with everyone either loving it or hating it.

I love it for that reason alone.

Oblivion138 · Jul 22, 2015

I wish I either loved or hated it. haha That would be preferable to not feeling any way at all about it. To my taste, It Follows is like store-brand white bread...it's too bland to muster any real feeling toward it one way or the other.

Dr Griffin · Jul 22, 2015

Wow, the white bread analogy sounds pretty damning. It didn't seem anything like white bread, and its connotations, in the trailer.

Malcolm R · Jul 22, 2015

From some of the descriptions, it sounds like someone thought they had a good premise for a movie, but no ideas for a satisfying conclusion/ending.

Kenneth_C · Jul 22, 2015

Malcolm R said:
From some of the descriptions, it sounds like someone thought they had a good premise for a movie, but no ideas for a satisfying conclusion/ending.

I felt that someone thought they had good ideas for individual scenes, and then tried to make a movie that incorporated them -- internal logic or consistency be damned.

Right from the very beginning, for example: Girl runs out of house and stands for a few minutes in the middle of the street. Then goes back into her house. Re-emerges and gets into car. Drives to beach, where she then sits in the sand and waits for IT to catch up & kill her.

Sorta effective scene-wise, but it makes little to no sense when you think about it. The movie was full of scenes like that.

I might have overlooked or ignored all this, had the film been sufficiently scary or suspenseful. Unfortunately, I was not engaged and so had plenty of opportunity to sit and ponder all the stuff that didn't add up or make any sense.

Tino · Jul 22, 2015

I thought it had a satisfactory conclusion for the genre.

TravisR · Jul 22, 2015

I was just happy to see a horror movie that didn't have the obligatory

"It's all over"/CHEAP JUMP SCARE!/smash-cut-to-black ending

that some good and all bad horror movies have.

Tino · Jul 22, 2015

TravisR said:
I was just happy to see a horror movie that didn't have the obligatory

"It's all over"/CHEAP JUMP SCARE!/smash-cut-to-black ending

that some good and all bad horror movies have.

I agree. IMO, films like It Follows should be celebrated for its unique aspects and not be compared to conventional horror films. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I for one like it more and more the more I think about it. It has certainly followed me.

Richard V · Jul 22, 2015

meh, 'aight, so-so, run of the mill, sokay, middle of road........ you get the picture, at least from my standpoint.

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