It Follows (2014)

It Follows (R)

A College student enters into a new sexual relationship which leads her to a new life of terror in the anxiety ridden yet only subjectively effective It Follows.

Indy Horror can be a mixed bag, for when something goodish comes around the starving fan base and critics fall over themselves to fawn.  And while the dream like pulse-pounding instinctual fear of the first third of the movie is wonderful film making that retains a gorgeous cinematographic look of suburban Detroit and its surrounding environs, the creep comes to an abrupt halt about half way through and then continues to dig it's own grave by breaking it's already established rules and being obviously obtuse.

There is still a lot interesting here and if the movie lived up to it's first half then it would indeed be the "scariest movie of the decade."  Well, considering the decade it still might be, for it's not the 80s anymore.  It Follows has a preternatural fear instilled in it, the feeling of being stalked is captured vividly, hackles will rise.  Inspired by dreams the film maker had as a child, the way the camera moves and the antagonist's slow pursuit will set off the alarm bells in your head and heart.  Good acting, odd production values and strange music (the synth sounds, old tube televisions, big back seated cars and no cell phones are invoking a 70s-80s spin on the present that homages back to the genre's and filmmaker's roots), its all an elaborate technique to throw the audience into a unknown situation filled with panic,  forcing them to scan the screen constantly for the bad guy.  It's a slow, terrifying trip that ends too soon.

For then there is that scene on the beach and the specter of supernatural CG on a shoe string budget snaps the suspension of belief.  When they come into actual physical contact the buzz and creep and anxiety melts away as it becomes another "YAs vs. the thing movie."  Suddenly "It Follows" stops following its own urgent rules and just literally stands and stares instead.  It was a fantastic premise that unfortunately someone had to write a semi-commercial ending for.  It's not bad, it just isn't as strong as what followed.

And yet the first half is stellar, the look and work of the camera stunning, the emotional under pinning of parental child-abuse (physical and sexual), the dangers of sensual awakenings and the prepubescent fear of sex, so much works and all hackles were risen.  Yet while the ending turns out to be a simple parable (me and you against the world, baby) the film will probably have you looking over your shoulder for a couple days, and that might earn "It Follows" a place in your nightmares, just not the history books.

7 Soggy Arm Casts out of 10 (GOOD)