It Follows - It really is pretty good

I really do hate using someone else’s words when it comes to reviewing a film, however the phrase ‘It really does breathe new life into the horror genre’ does seem – almost – applicable.  Okay, it may be overstating the film’s brilliance.  It’s no work of art, but, if you enjoy your horror yarns (and are as sick and tired of every new horror film using ‘found footage’ as a tool with which to scare us) then you may at least want to give this one the time of day.

It’s long been a cliché in horror films that if you have sex you die (notably pointed out in the ‘Scream’ films), so it may come as a surprise that our lovely, blonde female lead manages to jump into bed (or a car, technically) within the first few scenes.  Granted, she’s not immediately bludgeoned to death by an ice hockey mask-wearing maniac, but her new boyfriend does have some bad news for her (and he’s not just confessing that he’s actually married!). He informed her that he’s ‘passed on’ more than just something she needs to report to the doctors about.

An evil spirit/presence is now destined to follow her everywhere she goes until she dies.  Or should that be until the evil spirit/presence in question murders her horribly?  Either way, she has two options: sit around and wait for the grisly end, or ‘pass it on’ (and we all know what she has to do in order to get rid of it!).

However, seeing as our stricken heroine is a nice girl, she doesn’t want to ‘pass it on’ or wait for the end.  So she enlists the help of some of her mates and, together, they set about doing their best to make this spirit wish it had picked on someone else.

And, it’s a pretty enjoyable ride.  For a start, the title ‘It Follows’ is nicely applicable titles.  The spook does just that.  It never runs, it just walks.  Not only does that give the victim a decent chance at escaping, but it does play on the psychological horror of having something totally unstoppable which never gives up until it has killed you.  Plus the cast is good.  Most horrors since the seventies have had a cast of youngsters and most of the time they’re pretty bland and annoying (or just put there for the offending killer to pick off one by one).  However, here the friends interact quite nicely and come across as a believable bunch.

‘It Follows’ has been successful, therefore it’s pretty much guaranteed to be the start of a franchise.  And, with most horror franchises, I dare say that the quality will drop with each one until it’s ultimately rebooted.  So, before the quality diminishes completely, I say watch the original quickly before your memory of the story is overshadowed by countless spin-offs, sequels and remakes.  It’s actually pretty good if you’re already into your horror.  Plus it’s a nice take on the ‘have-sex-and-die’ horror premise!

8/10 The Force is definitely strong with this one