Stream & Scream: A Look at the Modern Cult Classic “It Follows”
“It Follows” received acclaim from critics, who praised its originality, direction, cinematography and score. It ultimately grossed $23.3 million worldwide against a $1.3 million budget and has since achieved a cult following, with many critics and moviegoers citing it as a modern horror classic and one of the best horror films of the 2010s.
After carefree teenager Jay sleeps with her new boyfriend, Hugh, for the first time, she learns that she is the latest recipient of a fatal curse that is passed from victim to victim via intercourse. Death, Jay learns, will creep toward her as either a friend or a stranger.
Jay’s friends don’t believe her seemingly paranoid ravings, until they too begin to see the phantom assassins and band together to help her flee or defend herself.
For quite some time, “It Follows” ended up being one of those films that I never had the chance to see and has been on my radar for some time. Now, while this 2015 film can be slightly slow-paced at times, “It Follows” really delivers an eerie and suspenseful atmosphere and its haunting synthesizer-heavy electronic soundtrack also does a great job helping build a thick layer of unease.
The “entity” that is stalking its victims throughout the film isn’t fast like most other supernatural threats in a traditional sense. It simply walks toward its target at a slow, constant pace - and it never stops. While watching the film, the viewer can easily be tapped into a primal, existential fear: you can run, hide, or even drive cross-country, but the clock is always ticking and the threat is still coming.
Almost like the typical classic monster/supernatural lore, the entity operates on some strict rules (only visible to the victims; passed via intercourse; shape-shifts into either random people or loved ones). There are also times throughout the film where you would also think to yourself, “What would I do in that situation?”
Since the entity can look like anyone and is always walking, the cinematography constantly keeps most (if not all) the background extras in frame. I actually caught myself thoroughly scanning every scene, wondering if a distant figure strolling in the background was either a harmless passerby or the supernatural entity. Another aspect I enjoy is that rather than depending on cheap, sudden loud noises, the film builds a steady, suffocating sense of unease and anticipation.
Rich Vreeland from Disasterpeace composed a heavy, pulsating synth score that has been inspired by John Carpenter soundtracks that are mixed with loud, jarring, electronic dissonance. The soundtrack is easily one of the best parts of the movie, as it acts almost like another character in the story in a way, amplifying the panic in every scene.
The 2015 cult classic easily sets the tone in the very first scene. A young woman runs panicking out of a suburban home, checking behind her at an unseen threat. The camera slowly rotates 360 degrees, scanning the quiet, ordinary neighborhood street - and once it completes its rotation, the girl gets into her car and speeds away.
The sequence cuts to the next morning at a beach, showing her body - immediately establishing that whatever is coming can’t be bargained with or outrun. There’s plenty of other stand out moments; a few of them including the pool climax where Jay and her friends attempt to stop the supernatural entity, the beach house siege (where the entity finds Jay after attempting to flee and things get out of control) and the ambiguous ending that has received a mixed reaction from movie-goers.
The 2015 supernatural horror film “It Follows” received widespread critical acclaim but sparked a highly polarized reaction among general audiences. Over the years, the film has cemented its status as a modern horror classic and a cult favorite. The ongoing legacy of the film has even paved the way of an eagerly-awaited sequel titled “They Follow,” currently slated for release sometime next year.
MPA: Rated R for disturbing violent and sexual content including graphic nudity, and language (running time 100 minutes)
Initial release date: March 27, 2015
Steaming: Paramount Plus/various PVOD services
The film's concept derives from a recurring nightmare the director used to have, in which he would be stalked by a predator that continually walked slowly towards him.
The time frame of the movie is intentionally kept undefined so that it resembles a dream. Some of the cars shown are from more recent times. Many appear to be from the '60s to late '80s. Early CRT television sets are shown whenever the characters are watching movies. Conflicting technology includes Yara on a device that looks like a shell compact, but she reads from it like an e-book reader and uses it as a light source at one point. Also, the girl at the beginning of the film uses a cellphone and drives a modern automobile, with several modern vehicles in view.
According to the production company, the film's budget was $1.3 million and was shot entirely in the state of Michigan for tax advantages. A year after its theatrical release, it grossed over $20 million.
Following overwhelmingly positive first weekend reception from critics and audiences, the film's originally-planned VOD/theatrical release was cancelled in favor of a theatrical-only release.
David Robert Mitchell has cited the works of George A. Romero and John Carpenter as major influences on his style of filming and creative decisions on this film.
The entire score by Disasterpeace ("Disasterpeace") was completed in less than three weeks.
The movie was filmed in Michigan. Jay and Kelly's house is on Trafalgar Way in Sterling Heights. The ice cream parlor where Kelly and Paul work is Clark's Ice Cream in Berkley.
Rotten Tomatoes ranked this film as the sixth-most-praised film of 2015.
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