It Follows 4K SteelBook Review
“It Follows” has improved with age.
Written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, 2014’s indie horror film “It Follows” takes place in an unassuming suburban town. College student Jay is dating a new guy (Hugh). The two have sex for the first time, but what should have been a special moment turns into a nightmare for Jay. Hugh has passed on a sort of curse to Jay. The only way to get rid of it is through sexual intercourse. The curse itself is a shapeshifting being that can come from out of nowhere or look like anyone. If it catches you, you will likely die. If the person that currently has the curse dies the curse reverses back to the person that had it previously. With the help of her sister Kelly and her friends Greg, Paul, and Yara, Jay looks for answers to her curse and tries to track down the now missing Hugh who gave it to her. Can she stay alive?
Upon first viewing “It Follows,” the film felt like it never quite lived up to its creepy premise. Revisiting the film 14 years later now, it has aged gracefully. Yes, there are still lingering issues here. The sluggish pacing, the pool sequence, the inclusion of guns, and the lack of connection between Paul and Jay still stick out like a sore thumb. With that said, there’s no denying this eerie horror film has a lot going for it.
Perhaps the most striking aspect of “It Follows” is the visually stunning cinematography by Mike Gioulakis. Both Gioulakis and the ultra talented Mitchell (see “Under The Silver Lake,” folks) have a keen eye for visuals and manage to create a chilling and atmospheric horror film that is dripping with paranoia. The two really put viewers in the POV of Jay. She had her whole life ahead of her, but now after contracting a curse via sex, she’s living an isolating, traumatic and paranoid existence seeing horrors that no one else can (including arguably one of the best scares of the past 15 years). This storytelling decision really makes the film even more effective.
On the subject of Maika Monroe, she is fast becoming a modern Scream Queen. There’s something very naturalistic about her performances. She is never showy.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 2.39:1 2160p with Dolby Vision. How does it look? The glorious cinematography positively stuns on 4K. Well worth the upgrade from Blu-ray for those wondering.
Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? From Disasterpeace’s electronic score to the quiet dialogue moments, this Atmos track hits all the right notes.
Extras:
* Theatrical trailer
* Digital copy
* 3 commentary tracks. One by author Joshua Grimm, one by film critic Danny Leigh and Film Professor Mark Jancovich, and a third by film critics Scott Weinberg, Eric Vespe, Eric D. Snider, Britt Hayes, and Alison Nastasi.
* “A Conversation With Film Composer Disasterpeace”- Archival extra
* 5 separate interviews with actors Keir Gilchrist, Olivia Luccardi, producer David Kaplan, Disasterpeace/Rich Vreeland and production designer Michael Perry.
* “It Follows- The Architecture Of Loneliness”- A video essay by Joseph Wallace.
The “It Follows” 4K SteelBook (which features a nifty SteelBook cover and slipcover) is available on Lionsgate Limited’s website here: https://lionsgatelimited.com/products/it-follows-4k-steelbook?variant=43069170942063
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