Mark Kermode reviews It Follows
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- Опубліковано 26 лют 2015
- For 19-year-old Jay, the fall should be about school, boys and weekends at the lake. Yet, after a seemingly innocent sexual encounter she suddenly finds herself plagued by nightmarish visions; she can't shake the sensation that someone, or something, is following her. As the threat closes in, Jay and her friends must somehow escape the horrors that are only a few steps behind.
- Фільми й анімація
The cinematography is beautifully composed.
+Onmysheet That's what I thought too. Check out the photography of Gregory Crewdson: he seems to have been a big stylistic influence on some of the scenes in this movie.
the music is outstanding.....👌
I agree with him in that I didn't find it especially scary, however it was deeply unsettling and very tense. Very enjoyable.
"Larry Clarke would delight in the portrayal of a world where parents are an absence".
Yeah, I bet he would.
Mark Kermode, the best film critic there is, and quite frankly the only one I can tolerate.
This is one of the best modern horrors.
A future classic for sure.
Awesome coming of age (horror) story, which takes from masterpieces like Halloween and A Nightmare on Elm Street (among the others), and make it it's very own thing.
David Robert Mitchell is for sure one of the most interesting new directors out there.
I adored it, it was so Carpenter it hurt.
The score was so effective and haunting that it just worked as a whole
Better to have a horror film nowadays like this that isn't particularly scary but is well constructed rather than a poorly executed jump-scare filled horror film with unrelatable clichéd characters and unoriginal plot devices. Really enjoyed this film. Interesting characters and a great plot that was unique while also expertly hearkening back to Halloween and other 80's horror movies.
I found this incredibly scary
I think for the most part, Mark hits the nail on the head here. A beautifully shot, well-made and interesting film that, although not quite revolutionary, offers up something different from your standard slasher or demons-for-jump-scares fare we get served these days. Your mileage may vary with it, I can't say it was the scariest film I've seen lately but it is incredibly tense, mostly due to the excellent use of space in the film and the awesome soundtrack, and I've got to say even a few hours after seeing it it's still on my mind. Can't say that about a lot of horror films these days.
And this is the reason why you watch/read reviews AFTER you've seen a film! Kermode basically gave the whole story away, lol. Glad I just got back from watching it :)
It follows crept me out a lot but it didn't really scare me. But The Shining and The Thing which are both considered by many people to be the best horror movies of all time, but i didn't find them scary. The events happening are the things that are scary. If you were in that situation you would be really scared. But watching them i did not find them scary, but I did find them intense. And that's the same as It Follows. Creepy, Intense but not particularly scary. I thought It Follows was absolutely fantastic. The score by Disasterpeace was very atmospheric and made lots of scenes quite intense, the acting was very good from Maika Monroe and the supporting cast even though were mostly good occasionally they weren't on par with their performances at other moments in the film, plot even though simple is executed to perfection, cinematography was great, some genuinely creepy moments, great ending and the movie did not rely on jump scares whatsoever. There are 2 jump scares but both of them were not during intense moments so they didn't really ruin the tension. And some scenes which if any other director had done, they would have added a loud obnoxious noise that would relive all tension but David Robert Mitchell actually made the scene incredibly creepy.
How on earth does Mark type on that tiny little laptop with those huge flappy hands?
Yeah, ya right.
Really liked this film! It's got such a eerie edge to it, the feel of the movie is enough even when the plot gets a little thin.
The retro feel of both the visuals and the soundtrack is amazing!
This feels like a film made for true film heads.
I have walked away thinking about this movie a lot, and Mark hits the nail on the head when he mentions the lack of parents in the movie.
Great Movie :)
I saw it a couple hours ago. My immediate reaction after leaving was that it's brilliant, one of the best Horror films I've ever seen. Yet the more I think about it, the less i like it. I still love the film but there was a lot that for me lessens my enjoyment of it. The characters did make a lot of ridiculous decisions and the ending was very *meh*. The "big finale" of the film also wasn't scary at all. Then again, I thought the score and cinematography were excellent and there were some good performances too. I loved the opening. That 360° one shot was great. A certain scene in the girl's house will haunt me for weeks I'm sure (woman and big guy). I do love the concept and it provided some great scenes, I especially loved her first solo encounter with a follower (old woman). The Babadook was my favourite film of last year (like Mark) yet I'm the opposite in that I didn't think The Babadook was very scary, but I thought this movie was terrifying.
...
You know what, the more I talk about it the more I love it. It was a flawed movie, more so than The Babadook, but I still think it's one of the best Horror films I've ever seen.
Looking forward to seeing this...!. (Agree The Babadook was excellent but it didn't scare as much as other horrors have)
cliffjumper81 It did feel very similar, especially the score. I just felt it was different enough that it didn't affect my enjoyment of the film.
cliffjumper81 Kermode mention about the "Carpenter" vibe in this movie as well, I'm even more pumped to see it now..!
cliffjumper81 The ending was classic horror cliffhanger if you saw what was in the background
dvdmike007 It wasn't really a cliffhanger, it shows that they've learnt that they can't stop it so they just try to get on with their life.
Seeing it tomorrow - can't wait!
Psycho-sexual cake - my favourite kind of cake
Saw it last night ,absolutely loved it. Was waiting for Michael myers to pop up lol pays huge homage to the 80s teen classics (noes,F13,H) great scares an set pieces and most importantly believable characters. Can't wait for the blu-ray , score is fantastic 80s synth . All i can say is if you love horror movies an 80s ones also.............then you gonna love this!
It is refreshing to find a low budget movie that actually scared me to my core.
Moved along at a lovely pace 👍
This movie was great in the paranoia it creates for sure. I just don't get scared at horror movies but one of the forms of the curse actually managed to affect me in some way, which I really appreciated.
Saw it a few months ago. I found the introductory scenes annoying, but it picks up after that and does exactly what it says on the tin. The quota of jump shocks are delivered with aplomb, typical for these 15-cert shockers (often in both meanings). Characters are better fleshed out than is the norm; so you do care about them somewhat. And is the director, like Tarantino, a foot-fetishist? Falls apart towards the end: in the pool sequence. And when i saw it in Manchester, the projectionist raised the houselights before the film's end. Probably the best critique.
mark i know you hate video games but the guy who did the soundtrack for this movie did the soundtrack to a game called FEZ. it is hands down one of the most important soundtracks ive ever heard and i think you might enjoy it.
Brilliant film
I like the look of Detroit.
I loved "It Follows" such a refreshing and scary film for me.
The film’s eerie, realistic, stylish, terrifying, terrifically acted & original horror film that works well with audiences & horror fans. (92%) (4.5/5 stars) (positive)
This is definitely best seen knowing as little as possible.
I wondered if Mark would mention that the first nappy he ever changed was that of the film's co-star Keir Gilchrist...nope.
What a claim to fame!
I for one thought the film was terrific in all respects. Both jump out of your skin frightening on a few occasions, and genuinely disturbing on a level which most horror films aren't. Also very well and genuinely acted by its young cast, including Mr Gilchrist Junior. Loved the expressions on his face as he wrestled with whether or not to "help" Jay out - a really good portrayal of an unrequited love.
Just a shame that this isn't being shown anywhere near me...
I enjoyed this film, not so much out right scary but the wraith was creepy and the film had atmosphere and tension throughout. Good performances from the cast and am still thinking about it days after seeing it. So much better and refreshing than the quiet, quiet, quiet, bang approach to horror.
If you've seen 'It Follows' and played 'Fez' I think you'll agree there is possibly no better person to score the Blade Runner sequel than Disasterpiece. The Fez soundtrack in particular was a love letter to the original film and worked perfectly.
Squishy synth sound?
My issue with It Follows is that there's a cagey sense of intelligence in the setup of the world and premise. But its constantly squandered for the sake of crafting tension. But all that does is permits me to ask questions regarding the creatures logic -- pulling me from the tension.
This film approached me from a different angle..Entropy. Bear with me ( I promise it won't hurt, lol ) :
It was the rural decay that struck with me, these young people who inhabited these places how it seemed so empty. So it was from this atmosphere that drew me in, as Mark stated it has its flaws but I thought it was an original take on the genre.
See, I told ya it wouldn't hurt...peace
Ringoo again? I thought we'd got that one sorted.
- Jaws 2/Blast Corps hybrid?
This is why I only see trailers and reviews AFTER seeing a movie. Especially Horror movies. I loved it, but if I had seen any of the trailers etc. my enjoyment would have gone down 20% because I'd know what would happen.
The only way for them to deal with the creature is to basically have a gang bang so that they can all see the creature, then they can focus on protecting the person it's currently targeting. Really though this was a great movie. Very creepy rather than scary but it was great.
Just saw this and loved it but two things I can't understand is why Jay just didn't get on a plane and fly away? And (SPOILER ALERT) why did the girl at the very beginning choose to meet her fate alone on a beach? Surely you would go on a talk show and go out with a bang while alerting the world to the curse.
(SPOILER ALERT) At the end it's clear the 'wraith' will not deliberately enter water. It's at that point I would have put two and two together and got a one way ticket out of the US and across the pond
WUBrummie I'm going to paste someone else's comment as it was really good. Someone asked why doesn't she or her male friend just get a plane to vegas, sleep with a prostitute and pass it along that way. Here's a good answer:"i don't think you're really thinking it through. the prostitute would give it to 1 guy, who may or may not be getting laid alot. I tend to think the Jons of the world aren't getting laid very often IMO. Like the film explains/implies, if you don't warn people about the creature, people likely won't survive the first encounter. No matter how many people in spreads to in Vegas, they all die fairly quickly. So in essence, you're asking the creature to walk to LV and back again, which really isn't long for something that is a relentless 24/7 walkathon champion.
Also, think of the financial cost. You're spending a lot of money, on something you will likely need to repeat in a year. How long can you keep that up? Think of the Moral Cost, you just condemned alot of people to a fairly nasty surprise. Think of the security cost: you're likely to let your guard down in that long period of time. It will eventually come back around, and you won't be ready for it. That's the true kicker really, once it got you on it's kill list, you can't afford to let your guard down even after you pass it on. No one is going to tell you if you're back on top of the list. Now, think about all the times you heard a fire alarm and assumed there was no fire.......are you seeing the problem yet?
You'll have lots of false alarms even when you're far down the list. There's lots of people walking around with a blank stare on their face. Maybe you're really far down the list maybe, maybe you're not. You'll never have that kind of information, so every blank stare you see is a potential threat. There were plenty of false alarms even in the movie, that would be the rest of your life no matter what, so it can haunt you even when it's not haunting you."
Someone spoil it for me please!
I expected very little so I enjoyed it. Carpenter influenced which is no bad thing. For me this had the elements I enjoy which I didn’t get from Raw though to be honest the director said it wasn’t a horror and I agree. Also when I said I didn’t like Raw that much people said I didn’t like female leads but this is proof it is the film I enjoy not the gender. The female lead was good but definitely rife for parody. Also there was one jump scare which was good and it definitely caught me off guard and made me jump. Also the friends are supportive more than other horror films.
I liked it.
I'm easily scared but this film only had one scary scene, I think most people will know the one. I don't think anyone can argue the finale wasn't a huge letdown. If you strip this film of its vaguely interesting subtext there's really nothing new here. Just because it's better than a lot of mainstream horror doesn't make it good. I much preferred The Babadook, not just for its themes but for its style, acting and excellent editing.
I loved both If and The Babadook
This film has a certain "final Destination"
What I don't understand, is why he had to drug her and strap her into a wheelchair to tell her what he had done.
Because if she didn't know what was coming for her she'd be dead within a few days and it would be after him again.
So she couldn't run away, and he needed to know if she could see what was following her.
WARNING Far too many spoilers in this review - particularly describing the curse and specific scenes. Shame on you Mark. Movie was good.
Is it really spoiling when its all in the promotional material?
Yes it is. Trailers these days show far too much. Worst example is the second terminator 5 trailer. Revealed one of the main twists. So stupid.
It really irks me when Kermode says, as he so often does "it's not without flaws". . . it's such a stupid, nitpicky remark.There's no film ever been made that someone can't find a flaw in. No film is perfect, thus no film is without flaws - so Kermode's statement is completely redundant.
I ultimately agree with your argument, but it's not without its flaws.
alternate241 flawless retort
Shawshank redemption
ohthepeppers If he doesn't say that, then people complain Kermode is a fan boy and missed its faults. It's CYA.
EuroTrasho Productions
Although, I think that I made my reason quite apparent.
Why did the creepy boyfriend bother explaining the curse?
After it kills somebody, it works its way back up the chain. He needed her to have the knowledge in the hope she would survive, so he could stay free of it.
That tall pale slender man! ahhhh!
Sad that you didn't find it scary, I really want this to be good and disturbing :( The score is so damn badass though
Scary is subjective. Just because Mark doesn't think its scary, doesn't mean you wont. I share my top film of 2014 with Mark in The Babadook, he says he thought it was very scary, I thought it was creepy but not scary at all. I saw It Follows and I thought it was terrifying.
I agree, The Babadook is a good movie, but it wasn't as scary as the trailers said. Can't wait for It Follows
I actually didn't find it that scary in the cinema, it was quite a fun experience rather than scary to be honest thanks to the soundtrack. It's when I went home to bed that it really got to me. I found myself being quite scared to look down hallways or in doorways for more than a few seconds. Not the best horror movie I've ever seen but refreshing to find a movie that actually scared me to my core after it was over instead of relying on cheap jump scares that I would forget about the second I left the cinema.
BieberSucksCock100 great :)
BieberSucksCock100 Yep, I have to close my doors for rooms that are pitch black inside. I think a huge man is going to come walking out of it.
It's ok nothing ground breaking. The demon is vaguely interesting although not sure why it needs to bonk to possess its victims.
It has some interesting ideas, but the concept it far better than the execution. I found this film to be quite average, and I think most people are mistaking a good score and a good concept for a good movie. It's mediocre. But the reviews are all saying otherwise, thus making this a hugely overrated film. Remove the score, and you're left with just a good idea. The set-up is intriguing, but the story starts to wander, and it just isn't frightening, I personally like low budget horror films, but I knew very early on that each iteration of the creature would just be a person in make-up walking slowly, and it really sucked a lot of tension out of the film. A naked man or naked big breasted woman slowly approaching, are more comical/funny than scary in some scenes. The characters are also all extremely boring. There are some decent sequences, but overall, it's just a very overrated film.98% on rotten tomatoes is ridiculous. 5 stars from numerous publications is also ridiculous. It's not even remotely frightening, but the concept is creepy.
I agree with you 100%. The film had a lot of potential for more depth. I thought the filmmakers were going to explore the notion of transferring energy during sex (which is a thing) or perhaps the exploration of a sexually transmitted mental disease (which would be totally new, scary territory), hell even a succubus/incubus theme would have been passable, however, we get nothing. They just left it. It's basically a less developed 'The Ring' with sex. The soundtrack IS killer but I was consciously aware throughout that playing good music over a bad movie doesn't quite cut it.
JonnyJuke Also (spoiler alert) some of the solutions to this entity problem seem too easy in a world full of prostitutes, it kind of loses it's edge when it can be defeated by promiscuity. And there are too many logic questions, like what happens if you go overseas? Will it board a plane or boat? Does it have that level of cognitive functioning? Surely it can't walk on water - and the plan to electrocute it was ridiculously elaborate, especially as they had no way of knowing that it would even work. Also, the idea that it could be anybody, even people you know, was never even explored, if it was like "The Thing" it would have led to a lot more tension, suspense and paranoia, because every time we see the entity, we know it's the entity, even when it takes another form, making it's transformations ultimately pointless.
wolfman8325 I strongly disagree. I find 'It follows' to be one of the most frightening horror films of recent horror releases. For the the point that I see as part of a revolutionary trend: It doesn't rely on elaborate make up or costumes but simply plays with an ambitious threat, the character is told almost nothing about and tries to figure out what's happening. I thought the tension was exactly made because it was so simple and it was simply someone walking towards her we knew could never get near. Imagine someone suddenly walking straight at you. That's a scary thought! And exactly that fear was quite well executed. It is most certainly not without flaws but I thoroughly enjoy the play with fear and the ambiguous and ominous threat. Far better than any kind of elaborate demon or monster costume, and for that part it is on a revolutionary trend that I hope to continue!
wolfman8325 I've just been to see this with my partner and we were discussing whether 'it' could be defeated by prostitution or sleeping around etc. We realised that unless the victim kept in touch with everyone she slept with - she would never know if they had been killed or not and therefore never know if 'it' was back after her. Afterall - it killed the guy she did sleep with the first time he saw it!
Sorry to disagree, the movie, while not being great, it is decent and solid, not mediocre. Listen, why are you saying that people are mistaken a good score and a good concept for a good move?, we are movie reviewers, I know what I m talking about. Yes, it could be slow at times, but the plot and idea was brilliant.
There's no way I can watch this until I see the movie. I'm afraid your going to spoil it all for me kermode.... I listened for just 20 to 30 seconds are you were talking about how the kids parents are absent in the film. Thank you....spoilers... A film is a lot better going in not knowing a thing then to have you tell a the little moments
It is but that really doesn't spoil much. I've seen the film and he didn't say anything that would spoil it. All the promotional material for the film don't include adults either.
ok, i might watch it then. this movie doesnt come out where i live for another month
Matt B Drawings , Heck, where do you live?, Venezuela?
I agree it just wasn't scary.
main problem is that that it 100% relies on jumpscares.
Not really, it has a few jump scares that weren't needed but it didn't totally rely on them. The whole scene with the old woman wasn't a jump scare and neither was the one with the giant in her bedroom. They were both very tense scenes, or at least I thought so.
FunWithGuru True, the only real scare was the tall man scene. However one good moment in an entire film does not equal a new horror classic. The jump scare with the little boy ghost coming through the hole in the door was just so cheap and cringe worthy. Really? A sex ghost is now a little snarling zombie boy? For a while I thought the ghosts were previous victims (which would make sense) but then it's revealed to just be random incarnations. They should have paid proper homage to The Shining and had the ghosts laughing like the bathtub lady. That's scary. Not tip toe grandma.
JonnyJuke Horror is subjective. I thought the old woman was scary, seeing a sickly old woman walking through a place full of young life. Laughing zombies would have cheapened it I think. What I found so scary about them was how absent they are, they're just skin for a demon hiding inside. I think the director said the followers or "Its" don't actually have a reason for what they look like. He said he wrote them to look the way they do because it was what he thought was scary while writing that scene. I would have liked a reason for how they looked though.
Yeah, "because I thought it'd be scary" isn't a very good reason. I think I found the bathroom lady from the shining scary because she was laughing at Jack for a reason. She had seduced him, played with his mind, made him want to cheat on his wife then totally disgusted him. That's what I meant by scarier. Her laugh had sinister reason. I get what you mean about the absent quality being creepy but I felt other incarnations, such as the little snarling zombie boy, were really cheap and plain cringe. There was no consistency to the different forms. Hearing now that the director was basically making it up as he went along sums the movie up for me really.
JonnyJuke The little boy follower was the little boy that was obsessed with the girl at the beginning by the way. Some of the followers do have a reason, such as the one in the pool scene. Personally, this doesn't affect my enjoyment of the film. Some have a reason, some don't. The woman in The Shining is completely different to the ones here. I do try and find reasons to like the film less and I'm yet to find someone who brings up a point that makes me dislike it. It just appeals to me, obviously not to you. The unnecessary jump scares are the only big criticism I have for it.
This man is incoherent .I could do his job, just disagrees with the mainstream.
Now I remember why I stopped listening to Kermode.
Don't believe the hype.
Why can't or won't they say "they have sex"? Why the silly euphemisms?
I couldn't follow any of it!
Didn't find it scary at all. really enjoyed the first half but turned boring after a while. Was really affective when the thing was the old woman but that's about it. Needed more intensity, good effort though.
such a waste of time, a terrible film. I don't get why it's getting good reviews. AVOID!
Avoid what this guy says ^
+Count Drunkula It's actually derivative of many classic horror films, Halloween being the main one. Is that really an issue though? I don't think so. But at the same time it's also quite original in it's setting, soundtrack, direction and mix of new and old technology. What era is this film set? What year? What planet?? It's completely mysterious, ambiguous and therefore, a future classic.
It Follows is a terrible film. I don't get why it's getting good reviews. AVOID!
Because you're clearly a moron, that's why.
Badly paced, poorly acted snore fest that isn't scary in the slightest.