It Follows

It Follows is a 2014 American supernatural psychological horror film that delves into themes of mortality, vulnerability, and the unbreakable bonds of friendship. Directed by David Robert Mitchell, the film takes an unconventional approach to the genre, presenting a unique and unsettling take on the 'slasher film' trope. The story centers around Jay, a cheerful and carefree teenager who, on her eighteenth birthday, consummates her first time with her older boyfriend, Hugh. However, this seemingly idyllic experience quickly takes a dark turn. Jay soon discovers that she is afflicted with a terrifying curse that is passed down from victim to victim through sexual intercourse. The curse is bound to pursue her relentlessly, manifesting itself as a mysterious entity that can only be seen by her. This entity, sometimes disguised as a charming acquaintance or an innocent bystander, relentlessly stalks Jay, embodying her deepest fears of mortality and dependency. As the entity approaches, Jay struggles to comprehend the true nature of this supernatural threat, her grip on reality slowly slipping away. The reality of the curse stretches before her like an endless nightmare, devoid of any escape or reprieve. Jay initially fails to alert her family and friends to the danger, but as she realizes the threat she's facing, she enlists the help of her friends Yara, Polia, and Paul, hoping they can assist her in understanding and evading the entity. Together, they embark on a perilous journey to uncover the truth behind the curse. However, regardless of their efforts, the entity persists, seemingly aware of their attempts to evade it. Jay's most trusted friends, including her grandmother's home health aide, Miss Kreeg, initially exhibit lukewarm responses to her pleas for help. Miss Kreeg, ever the keen observer, proves attentive to the threat first but after initial encounters fails to offer a trusting aid. Jay, who feels increasingly isolated and betrayed by her loved ones' disbelieving attitudes, is often left to face the entity alone. Jay's anxiety mounts as she becomes ever-aware of the disorienting encounters she has with the entity, each taking on a different guise - from acquaintances and classmates to seemingly unwary onlookers and the inanimate objects that surround her. The lack of clear definition and predictability from what she observes, ultimately, triggers a fierce awareness of the entity's unpredictable nature. Every small, unsuspecting encounter brings Jay closer to mortality, rendering her fragile resolve increasingly unpredictable. One afternoon in late spring Jay's closest friend Yara becomes the next target, but they manage to fend off the entity with her cooperation. Yara who'd apparently realized her own vulnerability towards the curse through conversation with Jay. Among other facts they find, the curse can be transferred into a healthy, adult human and it also needs to sustain its victim. In discovering such secrets, Jay realises she must confront reality early on before she even realises it so that she prevents a tragedy from happening. Ultimately, the film poses profound questions regarding mortality, reality, and the unbreakable bonds of friendship, bringing together a disparate ensemble of characters within the confines of a claustrophobic community that unwittingly seems self-destructive. It Follows is, above all, a celebration of female resilience, showing how vulnerability, courage, and wit can collectively shield Jay from her predators, challenging our conventional notions of life, death, love, and companionship. Though David Robert Mitchell presents many emotional and thought-provoking scenes in the film, Jay's desperation intensifies at a certain stage of the narrative after they are all relatively able. Given the fast pace of events and further awareness Jay gains on the curse's mechanics, her desperation also forces itself into growing fears around the actual ultimate passing of Jay's life. Mitchell also displays his extensive skills in the visual department in telling Jay's deep story, with It Follows possessing, a variety of distinctive atmospheric blends, notably setting it apart from conventional horror flics. The movie culminates in a suspenseful, somewhat unpredictable, and heart-pounding conclusion that underlines the unsettling message of the film. The way the finale explores the unbreakable bonds between the characters, taking into consideration how they stick by Jay through thick and thin and put together everything to avert her danger, truly captures the value of those delicate relationships within the midst of terror. In conclusion, It Follows, though a narrative not typical of the slasher film genre, addresses one's unresolved sense of dread by exposing the power of human kindness and resilience in facing abject doom, often with terrible tragedy at stake.