[Slightly Spoilerish] Without even having seen David Robert Mitchell previous movie "The Myth of the American Sleepover" I'm quite certain that both movies have some similarities despite the first one not being a horror movie at all. I also think that is one of the main factors when it comes to this film, it doesn't feel like your typical horror movie while still showing off it's influences.
The big bad here is just "It" - a being taking the form of someone known to the victim who is slowly but steadily walking toward it's target. The only way to get rid of it is to have sex with someone else but if whoever is on top of it's list dies it falls back in the chain. Simply put: If you can't deal with it, fuck someone else and better look for someone who can either handle it or has a high chance of passing it on too.
Unlike many teen horror movies the girl who "gets" it and her group of friends are written more realistically and go about it reasonably. Unfortunately it seems that no one in the curse chain was creative enough then despite it being not completely dumb there seem to exist more than enough methods to keep "It" in check.
Nonetheless, it's a solid movie relying more on atmosphere than a body count or jump scares.

"It Follows" is a unique film indeed, but I can't say I truly enjoyed it. The original premise and the refusal of modern horror gimmicks deserve some praise, but it felt too long, masturbatory, and slow-paced for its little content, with a lot of disposable scenes and too vague outcomes. There are many symbolic, hard to explain films that offer multiple interpretations but offer some kind of emotional payoff in return. However, it was not the case with "It Follows". It just felt like the director purposely left everything vague, disjointed, and unexplained just for the sake of keeping people talking about it and finding clues. In short, the film thinks to be smarter than it actually is and ends up offering just a little more than the archetypes of hipster filmmaking.

A group of teenagers close to reaching adulthood has to deal with a sexually transmitted curse: the last infected person gets chased and killed by a shape-shifting creature. The creature is only able to walk in a straight line, but is always aware of where the victim is and never stops its journey. Once it gets to kill you, it will start chasing the person you received the curse from and so on. It is transmitted through sex, kills through sex, it tends to take the appearance of familiar people and is usually naked or in bed clothing.

The events are clearly set in the suburbs of Detroit, but it's nowhere in time, with seasons completely mixed up. Characters watch 50s movies on a vintage TV set, go to see "Charade" at a movie theater, but also ride modern cars and read books on a new generation e-reader. The characters spend their days doing nothing, lost in their teenage spleen, as they were aware of their futility and powerlessness. They sometimes do crazy things to get away from the curse, but adults are always absent and never intervene as if they didn't care.

David Robert Mitchell's direction intentionally steps away from classic slasher cliches and keeps the pacing extremely low, with a lot of static camerawork and silent scenes that convey the characters' melancholy and paranoia. Many wide and deep shots draw your eyes to what is happening afar as if we are continuously playing "where's Waldo?". Many times we are tricked into misunderstanding regular people with the creature. The film rarely relies on sounds and jump scares, with the creature mostly creeping from far away line instead of jumping in from the foreground. Music is minimal and, unfortunately, mostly sounds cheap and amateurish, with the same couple of themes repeated all over again. Something that you would get on your average hipster indie film.

People keep saying the creature represents STD's, but I have never heard of STD's that you can get rid of by passing them to someone else. As an interpretation it's also too literal for a film that tries to be such a smart ass. It could be a metaphor for the psychological effects of sexual abuse. Think about all those days that Jay passes lying down in her bed, depressed, continuously looking at her own body. People who did not experience it cannot "see" it, all they can do is trying to sympathize and imagine what it feels like. They try to help, but all they do backfires (God, that swimming pool scene). However, all the sex in the film is casual but definitely consensual, so it still doesn't make much sense. Maybe sex is seen as a means to temporally exorcise the awareness of death and its unavoidability? At first, you think that death does not belong to you, but the more you live and lose innocence (have sex), the closer its presence feels. In the end, Jay finally has sex with someone caring and loveable, but their relationship still feels disjointed. Anyways, no matter the interpretation, the film is overall interesting enough to watch, based on an original premise, but could have been better executed.

"It Follows" is not just a meaningless title, as this movie stuck with me for several days, maybe weeks. It's one of those supernatural horrors that makes you scared of the dark and gives you an uncomfortable feeling when seeing someone walking towards you in a crowd, making everyone suspicious. I loved this movie for portraying a terrifying atmosphere as well as adding its own flair on teen horror.

So the story is solid, the characters feel real and like true teenagers. They're smart and actually take into consideration the main protagonists concern. Plus "It" doesn't hide. The whole point is that it's always on the move until it gets to you. No matter where you go, which is a frightening concept. Much as an original horror concept like movies such as 'A Nightmare On Elm Street' or 'Child's Play'. I felt for the characters through the experiences they went through. However, this is also where the film falls a bit flat. I don't remember the names or the real defining aspects of the characters. But I don't think that's what the director wanted the audience to take away from their movie. The supernatural being that haunts the host is a true take away as stated in the first line of this review. It sets itself up as a cult horror and it has a right to be one.

From the bland and dark toned colours to the retro style and feel, it makes for a very entertaining and frightening flick. With a small lacking in character development. It is a must-see for horror buffs and the easily scared.

I wanted more by the end, but that's not to say 'It Follows' isn't a very, very good film - it is.

I adore the look of the film, the cinematography is superb; the score is nice too. Maika Monroe leads a solid cast excellently. The premise is certainly interesting and it does create suitable tension, while the effects used are neat. The plot is quite sexual, potentially overly so in a couple of moments but in truth it needs to be for the most part. I would've, elsewhere, appreciated a deeper dive into the antagonists, also.

I could see a sequel coming from this, it's the sorta concept that could easily produce many sequels. I'd be fine with just the one, but would watch another - it must keep the same vibe though.

The exceptional cinematography contributes to its distinctive atmosphere and is unquestionably the finest element of the “It Follows”. Exploiting the idea of impending doom to terrify the viewer rather than depending on a monster or jump scare is a refreshing change.

Nevertheless, the premise was rather uninteresting, and the acting, although adequate, failed to leave an impression. Moreover, a ludicrous climax causes “It Follows” to lose focus, resulting in an underwhelming conclusion. Although enjoyable, the film falls well short of the high expectations set by its critical acclaim.
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Rating: 6.9/10 (Good, Slightly Flawed)