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Overanalyzing Anime
Blog Owner & Lead Writer
“It Follows” tells the story of Jay, a young high-school girl, who, after sleeping with her new boyfriend for the first time, finds that she is being stalked by a strange entity that only she (& those she’ve slept with) can see.
While malicious entities are nothing new in the world of horror, there’s something about “It Follows” that manages to make it stand out. Perhaps it’s how insouciant the creature is in its attempt to hunt down its victims; or the fact that the STD - erm, I mean “curse” - can be transferred from one person to the other just by having sex; or maybe it’s the fact that it’s able to reach its victim at any given moment - whether it’s a stormy night, or a sunny day at the beach. There’s just something about this film that really manages to stiffen the hairs on the back of your neck.
I mentioned in Tuesday’s post that this movie seems very much like an allegory for the potential dangers of unsafe sex. The entity really does seem like a stand-in for the potential risks associated with being sexually reckless; not only is it “contracted” through sexual contact, but it’s also something that continually “spreads” & “infects” more peoples lives. It really is quite an interesting allegorical comparison.
In addition to that, there’s something to be said about the films’ unwillingness to give us too much information about the entity; really, aside from the fact that it’s passed through sex, we don’t know anything about it. Questions are posed by some characters, but answers are never given, & while that may be problematic in other films, the intentional ambiguity lends itself to make the creature all the more fearsome.
I also appreciate the fact that this film made me wondering what I‘d do if I were in this situation. Would I pass it on, or, if not, how creative would I get in my attempt to stave it off? For those of you who’ve seen it, I’d love to read your ideas!
All in all, with its effective use of psychological terror, its great ensemble of young actors, & its especially noteworthy plot “It Follows” makes for an incredible horror film.
My rating 9.5/10
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