October 2nd - Horror Feature: It Follows (2014)

Let's jump forward forty years to 2014. We are about a steady decade into a stint of remakes and reboots of 1970s and 1980s horror movies and nine out of ten of them are pretty bad. And the ones that are new properties just steal elements of existing ones. This, of course, pertains mostly to the major market horror films from big studios with big actors. Save for James Wan and Leigh Whannell, there aren't many people totally killing it in mainstream horror.

Along comes David Robert Mitchell with a little film called It Follows. This one was a sleeper hit. Word of mouth carried, more and more people got around to catching it in theatres or on its home release, and more people shared it with those who had yet to see it.

Now, I like a good paranormal thriller and Mitchell delivers just that. It Follows is different from your typical ghost or demonic entity story. Maika Monroe plays Jay Height, a college girl who is dating a nice guy who turns out to be linked to a supernatural being that takes the form of people that only the curse-bearer can see. By having sex, the curse can be passed on, sacrificing the recipient and relieving the formerly burdened. This movie is one of the most original concepts I've seen in years and it is creepier than the most viewed horror movies to hit theatres these days.

It Follows explores the relationships of Jay and her sister and friends Kelly, Paul, Yara and Greg respectively, as well as the man, Hugh (who is really named Jeff), who turned the entity over to her. They travel around their neighbourhood and even leave town in order to keep Jay away from the entity that follows her.

What does it take for someone to put themselves in danger in order to help a friend? What are you willing to do for someone else? What are you willing to do to someone else to save yourself? Is it worth throwing someone under the bus if abandoning them could come back to haunt you? Should we be more aware of who we share our time with and the consequences of our actions in haste? It Follows dissects friendship, love and questionable morals unlike any horror film today. It resembles Halloween in that it forces the audience to second guess the way they behave morally, and this contrasts with a lot of the standard horror movies that make light of teenage and young adult ethics.

The film's low budget does not hinder its effects, often playing to its strengths rather than exposing holes in the quality of production. The film was shot in the downtrodden borders of Detroit and does not shy away from this fact. I'm not saying the film is top notch stuff, but it is an impressive accomplishment. I felt the same way about Paranormal Activity when it took audiences by surprise in 2009.

Watch It Follows this month. It's an indie gem and deserves to be seen by a larger audience. The more people that see his movie and speak its praises, the more filmmakers will be willing to tackle original projects like this, the more studios will support them, and the more good horror films we will see in the future. Stellar young, unknown cast. Fresh director. Chilling film.