Now, I don't mind movies that don't make any apparent sense. In fact, I can appreciate some of them when they are, for example, paired with a quirky humour, deep wisdom, or absolute horror. In short, if there is something about it that makes it worthwhile.
Not so the teen-horror "it follows". We're never really told what it actually is, that follows - some sort of STC (sexually transmitted curse), first cast by a witch scorned/horny and angry/pi**ed and hateful? Who knows. All we know is that it follows until you give it to someone else, and again if they happen to die.
Up to a certain point, the movie wasn't too bad. That must have been the point where I started doubting there ever would be some sort of solution or explanation, and it starting to make no sense. Running away from your follower forever is hardly a solution. Transmitting the curse until it comes back to you isn't either.
Following the example of other such movies about curses, the group of friends could have at least tried to figure out where it was really coming from. Insert some exciting amateur sleuth work, the usual frantic newspaper search in a marathon with time, a back-tracking of sexual partners or at the very least some detecting about "mysterious death cases" after "running from an invisible threat". Anything? Really?
No. Instead, they come up with some sort of mysterious "plan", isolate themselves in an abandoned pool, put the girl inside for bait while decorating the edge with plugged-in electrical appliances. Why? Are you guys intending to fry the thing? We've never seen it in water, while we have indeed seen it wet. When Jamie points to the invisible threat and tells her friends how it is indeed not getting in the water (while always walking an accurate zip-line to its victim, right?) we may begin to form the theory it truly abhors water. If that were the case, why not camp out on an island somewhere? No, instead you put the victim in a pool ready to be electrocuted. "If I'm gonna die I'm gonna take a few with me?" You think the thing is going to die if the victim dies voluntarily? Or was the plan to electrocute it? Shooting it didn't work. Not sure why electrocution should. (There's other nonsense like "You're going to die if it touches you!", yet it touched Jamie about twice - the immediate effect was painful marks, not death.)
Well, while the follower seems reluctant to get in the water, instead throws things at Jamie, the friends try to shoot it, until it ends up in the water.
But then, as they finally have Jamie out of the water... why did they never follow through with the electrocution plan? All they do is huddle around her and yell hysterically about the invisible's whereabouts. Which still is the water. As it mysteriously disappeared in a cloud of blood.
Soooo it is allergic to water after all? Is it "dead"?
The end of the movie, with Jamie having sex with her friend, and her friend driving through a red light district, suggests otherwise.
Either way, they did nothing really to stand up against it, and nothing is explained, with neither smart dialogue or ancient wisdom woven into the story.
Left me about as satisfied as Jamie, each time she was part of a transmission.
Stars for cinematography, soundtrack, and the fact it was entertaining *up to that certain point*.
Not so the teen-horror "it follows". We're never really told what it actually is, that follows - some sort of STC (sexually transmitted curse), first cast by a witch scorned/horny and angry/pi**ed and hateful? Who knows. All we know is that it follows until you give it to someone else, and again if they happen to die.
Up to a certain point, the movie wasn't too bad. That must have been the point where I started doubting there ever would be some sort of solution or explanation, and it starting to make no sense. Running away from your follower forever is hardly a solution. Transmitting the curse until it comes back to you isn't either.
Following the example of other such movies about curses, the group of friends could have at least tried to figure out where it was really coming from. Insert some exciting amateur sleuth work, the usual frantic newspaper search in a marathon with time, a back-tracking of sexual partners or at the very least some detecting about "mysterious death cases" after "running from an invisible threat". Anything? Really?
No. Instead, they come up with some sort of mysterious "plan", isolate themselves in an abandoned pool, put the girl inside for bait while decorating the edge with plugged-in electrical appliances. Why? Are you guys intending to fry the thing? We've never seen it in water, while we have indeed seen it wet. When Jamie points to the invisible threat and tells her friends how it is indeed not getting in the water (while always walking an accurate zip-line to its victim, right?) we may begin to form the theory it truly abhors water. If that were the case, why not camp out on an island somewhere? No, instead you put the victim in a pool ready to be electrocuted. "If I'm gonna die I'm gonna take a few with me?" You think the thing is going to die if the victim dies voluntarily? Or was the plan to electrocute it? Shooting it didn't work. Not sure why electrocution should. (There's other nonsense like "You're going to die if it touches you!", yet it touched Jamie about twice - the immediate effect was painful marks, not death.)
Well, while the follower seems reluctant to get in the water, instead throws things at Jamie, the friends try to shoot it, until it ends up in the water.
But then, as they finally have Jamie out of the water... why did they never follow through with the electrocution plan? All they do is huddle around her and yell hysterically about the invisible's whereabouts. Which still is the water. As it mysteriously disappeared in a cloud of blood.
Soooo it is allergic to water after all? Is it "dead"?
The end of the movie, with Jamie having sex with her friend, and her friend driving through a red light district, suggests otherwise.
Either way, they did nothing really to stand up against it, and nothing is explained, with neither smart dialogue or ancient wisdom woven into the story.
Left me about as satisfied as Jamie, each time she was part of a transmission.
Stars for cinematography, soundtrack, and the fact it was entertaining *up to that certain point*.