Spoiler Ghosts/spirits of former victims, although "it" can assume the form of people the haunted person knows. It's never really explained. "It" gets passed from person to person through sex; the only way to get rid of it is to have sex with a different person and have them try to pass it on to someone else. But if the person you pass it on to dies, it reverts back to you. Sort of an evil spirit STD. I wasn't as impressed with this as everyone else seems to be. It's well done for a low-budget movie and has a wonderful creepy atmosphere (think "Carnival of Souls") but the script could have used some work.
I liked it, though I have to say I was a bit let down. I think I was expecting more. While I liked that the concept is not fully explained (adding a bit of mystery, instead of spelling everything out as is commonplace in most movies), conversely one character knew a little too much about what was happening. The finale was really anti-climactic as well. For positives, I liked the gloomy atmosphere, and I believed in the characters. As in they didn't seem like cartoon stereotypes with way-too-cute dialog like we see in a lot of horror. Unfortunately, I only give this 3 to maybe 3 1/2 stars out of five.
I just got done seeing this movie and I loved it. I think I would have loved it even more had I not had a high expectation going into it - but I still loved it and look forward to a second viewing once it releases on blu-ray. It is a modern horror movie done right. 5/5 IMO. When I view it a second time later this year Ill see if that score holds up for me. Interesting side note - on Rotten Tomatoes the Critics overall is at 95% while Audience is 70% - very odd for a horror movie. So I guess not everyone loved it as much as I did.
I thought it was a clever metaphor for HIV/AIDS. I really enjoyed it, actually thought it was quite brilliant. ~Matt
This would have made an extremely satisfying short film. The cast and locations were terrific, as others have already mentioned; but it couldn't sustain itself with such a silly premise. Spoiler Giant Man was an amazing moment though! I'm pretty sure I had a mild stroke.
Loved it! Nice simple premise with a ton of style, atmosphere, perfect score and feel. That's all you really need. Why is this concept so hard for films to grasp these days? You don't need complex plots or a clever twist. More often then not those things just take away from the ultimate goal. Which is to scare your audience or at least get them uncomfortable.
Saw it earlier today and about 15 minutes left in the movie, the power goes out! Damn transformer blew somewhere in town. We had to drive about a hour to get to this theater. I guess we'll finish it when it comes to home video. Liked what I saw of it before the power went out! lol
I enjoyed it--the pacing, the performances, the structure all had a dream-like quality, where holes could be forgiven because of the non-traditional unraveling. Everything moved so damn well. But I was disappointed in the lack of "rules:" Spoiler The curse can take the form of ANYone, anywhere? Sometimes it is blocked by a door, other times it is not? The story goes that the form must walk toward the target, and yet it can appear immediately while other times it takes longer, without depending on how far the target gets away from it. The inconsistency of it took away from the tension. But, when we left I thought of the tribal knowledge nature of how these "rules" were passed down from target to target, and perhaps that was the cause of inconsistencies--the ever-evolving game of "telephone" that these teens play when they pass it. Gorgeous and fun. Glad I saw it in the theater, where the score very much added to the experience.
I really liked this one a lot. For me, It Follows hit all the right spots for what I'm looking for in a good horror movie: brooding atmosphere, a high amount of tension, cleaver story telling, a beautiful score, and most importantly, in this films case, the cinemotography is fantastic. I adored how the camera movements were typically slow and stalking, much like the supernatural beings in the film (cleaver shit!). And of course, the lead actress Maika Monroe, who ones up her performance from "The Guest." Like a lot of people have pointed out, the lack of rules for "It" is pretty confusing. Although the "It" is supose to be in constant pursuit of its prey Spoiler There is a scene where the "It" is standing on the roof of a house. Although this sequences is creepy as shit, this contradicts the motive and lore of the "It." But, much like Workshed was saying, the motives of each "It" varies from the form it takes. Much like any urban legend that is passed on by word of mouth, the story has different tweks and nuance based on who is telling it. This would, to an extent, explain why each "It" acts and behaves in slight variation from one to the other. And for the those who have yet to see it, or will revist this film in the future, make sure to pay close attention to the background throughout the film. There is a number of differentcreepy things to notice that makes the film that much more unsettling.
Sadly, I was a bit underwhelmed. As others have said, the story is good. The look of the film is gorgeous. It actually reminded me a bit of Refn, but that may be due to me watching a bunch of his films recently. The acting is a bit stylized but very effective. And the score & sound design are fantastic. But, as others have mentioned, the inconsistency of the "rules" broke some of the tension. And, it took away the sense of an ever-encroaching dread. In my head, I could come up with a number of sequences that really would have helped enhance the unstoppable nature of the creature. But, the way it is presented in the film (in direct opposition to the way it is described) sometimes it pursues and sometimes it just stalks and sometimes, I guess, it just wanders off. Also, there is a really neat idea underneath that Jay will have to live with the knowledge that she could pass the curse onto anyone that she has sex with from that moment on as she would never know where she is in the chain if the creature ends up doubling back towards her. And I really would have liked to see the character have to try to cope with that. But, none of my complaints made me like the film any less as a film. I just felt that it could have been a lot scarier and was nowhere near as effective as a good number of the other indie films that have been out there recently. It is definitely a decent and original story that is made by some very talented film makers and I would still recommend the film as something interesting.
Saw this yesterday and loved it. David Cronenberg's Halloween; that's the simplest way to summarize It Follows. A tense, unnerving, simple yet boldly original horror film. It had the feeling of a familiar nightmare the entire time. From the smart script and direction to the dreamy pacing to the acting and the score (which I'll admit I first found a tad over-bearing but then it became organic to the film), everything worked for me to create an atmospheric, moody horror film that actually creeps under your skin. I can't wait to check this one out again soon.
Yeah, I saw it opening weekend and keep thinking about it. Want to get one more they're viewing before it is pulled. I just hope they put out a good release rather quickly and don't dick around for a long while. Really liked this one!
Well. I did not like the film as much as you guys did at all. As a matter of fact, I was utterly disappointed. I do agree that the idea and the build up of the movie are great. However, the movie dissipates its own spirit towards the end and slowly dies. I hope this is not a new formula to be picked up and exercised. This movie could have been so much (and I really mean it), so much better so easily. The makers of the film knew it too. Lastly, I would not call it a horror film despite its raw horror elements. It does not progress like a horror film, it progresses like a mystery teen drama. Overall, I give it 2 stars out of 5.
I suppose you are correct. They wanted to serve a narrower scope of audience and I have no problem with that. I guess my biggest problem is with the 'excessive marketing' of this picture as 'the scariest horror film' in years, etc.
