T-minus three days until the best holiday is here (well at least in my opinion). Spooky season is almost over, which means it’s time to get as much Halloween related things in before we start gearing up for the holiday season. All October long, Nerds and Beyond has been sharing some of our favorite scary movies with you to get you into the spooky spirit. Today, we’re talking about one film you probably haven’t heard of but definitely should know about: It Follows.
This supernatural psychological thriller has a truly unique plot, and while it may seem strange, hear me out because this movie will absolutely leave you on the edge of your seat.
It Follows tells the story of teenager, Jay, who sleeps with her new boyfriend for the first time. Soon, she learns that she is the latest victim of a fatal curse that is passed on through sex. This thing — that just slowly creeps towards her — could appear as someone who she knows or a complete stranger. It won’t stop stalking its victim until it kills them. Then it will move on down the line to kill the person who gave it to that person, then the person to gave it to them, and so on and so forth. Jay has to make the decision to pass it along and hope that whoever she sleeps with survives, or continue to run until it finally catches up to her.
Now you may be scratching your head right about now wondering how on Earth this movie is scary. Really? A killer STD? That sounds stupid. Right? Well let me put it this way, It Follows received a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is extremely rare for a horror movie to get that high of a rating. On Rotten Tomatoes, the critics consensus is this:
Smart, original, and above all terrifying, ‘It Follows’ is the rare modern horror film that works on multiple levels — and leaves a lingering sting.
So let’s dive into why this movie is an absolute must see this Halloween season.
The one element of this movie that makes it truly scary is how extremely suspenseful it is. The slow moving entity with no definite form leaves you with this uneasy feeling throughout the entire flick. It can change forms whenever it wants. It doesn’t speak. It doesn’t run. It just walks directly towards you, staring you down, until it finally gets you. That in itself is terrifying.
There are times throughout It Follows when I catch myself yelling at the screen for the characters to turn around because “HOW CAN THEY NOT NOTICE SOMETHING IS WALKING BEHIND THEM?!” The subtleness of the suspense is what’s really horrifying. It’s not like typical horror movies when you’re waiting for the jump scare to come. When the suspense hits, you aren’t scared for yourself, you’re scared for the characters who don’t know what’s coming for them.
Another element that makes this movie amazing is the music and cinematography. The shots are beautifully set up which allows the viewer to understand more of what’s happening than the actual characters. Each camera angle and movement is deliberate which overall brings the thrills of the movie together.
I highly recommend taking the time to watch this movie before October ends. I’m confident you won’t be disappointed.
You can rent It Follows on Amazon, iTunes, YouTube and Google Play. If you’d like to watch it for free, Vudu is for you, however, ads will be played sporadically throughout the movie. After you watch it, just remember: “Never go anywhere with only one exit.”
