I’m trying hard to write anything non-gushy about It Follows, easily one of the most original and beautiful horror films I’ve ever seen. Ever. So, here goes…
If you know anything about this film, sure, it could be a parable about the dangers of “easy” sex or STDs—STIs, I think they’re calling them now?—and sure, that all works. And it works well. But for me this was about the inevitability of adulthood, as it looms on the horizon for us all. These are all students playing with very adult themes (drinking; sex; relationships; finding their place in the world; etc.), and, conspicuously, there are very few adults present in the film. As if the characters, most of them teenagers, are inheriting the world, whether they want it or not. They are left to fend for themselves, left to explore, left to figure out what their worth and meaning is in a place that’s quickly passing them by. And that is terrifying. For us all. And at the end, they come out a bit more world-weary, a bit more wise.
Plus, the soundtrack is killer, the cinematography is gorgeous, and…hey, filmed in Michigan. Win.
My score: 5 out of 5 above ground pools
