It Follows

Something strange is stalking suburban teens in It Follows – and as the name suggests, the sinister presence starts its attack by tracking its target. Taking a raft of human guises including figures of parental authority, it walks with purpose towards whoever is the latest victim of its attentions, a determined stare affixed on the face it wears at any given moment. Running is one option; however even great distances fail to dissuade it from its mission. The other alternative is passing on the predator’s pursuit to another in the throes of passion.

When 19-year-old Jay (Maika Monroe, Labor Day) has sex with her boyfriend Hugh (Jake Weary, TV’s Chicago Fire) for the first time, that’s exactly what happens, a tryst in the backseat of a car transferring the mysterious force onto her trail. Though sceptical of Jay’s claims, her sister Kelly (Lili Sepe, Spork), friends Yara (Olivia Luccardi, Orange is the New Black) and Paul (Keir Gilchrist, United States of Tara), and neighbour Greg (Daniel Zovatto, Laggies) offer their assistance as she endeavours to avoid the gruesome end that awaits should her path collide with her unwanted stalker.

Bursting with assurance and blatantly beholden to a raft of genre influences, It Follows offers an example of ambition and inspiration combining in technically arresting fashion. Emerging filmmaking talent David Robert Mitchell falls back on the tried and tested in a multitude of methods, from the precise framing and symmetry of image of Stanley Kubrick to the electro score and nostalgic setting reminiscent of the works of John Carpenter. Appropriating his influences, his mastery of the aesthetic and atmospheric is effectively unnerving. When bold references to the likes of The Shining are made, particularly in cinematographer Mike Gioulakis’ (John Dies at the End) long takes, they are earned and authentic in the stylistic construction. When every musical sound from composer Rich Vreeland – as Disasterpeace – harks back to 1980s horror efforts, the feeling is one of heartfelt affection.

Such prowess combining with a clear but clichéd concept can’t be avoided, as the film strays into thematically dubious territory. As can be all-too-common in horror, the source of the character’s struggles is sexual – a stylisation of the trope of the promiscuous being preyed on, for certain, and one that flirts with subversion in its avoidance of gender stereotyping, but the same message still lingers. That’s the unavoidable conceit of the writer/director’s second feature after 2010’s The Myth of the American Sleepover, as strong a low-budget genre effort as has been seen in recent years, yet one precariously placed on uninspired narrative convention. A layer of vulnerability is cast over the prominence of physicality to the plot, as aptly embodied by Monroe’s lead performance; however the film remains one chiefly concerned with the downfall of the sexually active.

Thankfully, every other aspect of the feature not only works, but shines in the beautifully dreamy manner that befits its imagery. Unsettling is the tone conjured in the evocative blend of the malevolent and the metaphorical, and though the former fares better than the latter, as hormone-fuelled adolescents attempt to flee misfortune, suspense is maintained. Also impressive is the grounding of the film in characters that ripple with believability, looking, sounding and acting with the age-appropriate awkwardness and uncertainty often missing in horror representations. It Follows’ statement may not be subtle, but its end result is striking and salient in marrying visceral thrills with moody intimacy.