It Follows (2014)★★★★☆

I went into this one expecting to be disappointed (as I usually am when something is overhyped like this movie seemed to be for a while). But you know what? I wasn’t disappointed at all. In fact, I liked this movie quite a bit.

It was scary, well acted, and an original story. I’m a little sad I didn’t watch this earlier, but glad I finally got around to it. I do think I went into it with the right expectations (read: low ones) to be thoroughly entertained.

There was only one familiar face in the cast, and even his face – Keir Gilchrist, as Paul – was just barely familiar. But the whole cast was pretty good. Everyone worked well together and made this movie truly terrifying at times. Bailey Spry was genius as Annie. I believed her fear so much that there were several times I had to glance behind me to make sure I wasn’t being followed.

This isn’t the first movie I’ve watched that centers around some sexually transmitted disease of paranormal/supernatural origin, but it might be the best one. I like that it doesn’t dwell too much in social commentary or some deep underlying message. Instead it centers around how Annie is affected and her fight (always metaphorical, but sometimes literal) for her life, which means it’s right up my alley (so to speak).

The bottom line is, I’m sorry I doubted this movie. It’s not perfect, but it was scary, well acted, and well paced. It’s not too graphic, though there are a few disturbing scenes (without giving away too much, I’ll just give the second on-screen death as an example). I’d definitely recommend this one to all horror fans.