It Follows peels out...then runs out of gas

It Follows has built up a considerable rep. I kept hearing it mentioned in the same breath as The Babadook and The Guest, both of which I loved. So I had to take the plunge.

Written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, It Follows is a twist on the long cinematic horror history of the bad things that happen after teenagers have sex. Jay (Maika Monroe, of The Guest, coincidentally) has a consensual sexual encounter, only to find herself stalked by an unknown supernatural force.

It's an interesting premise, and Mitchell does a phenomenal job of creating a really unique mood. The era is intangible - modern here and distinctly retro there. Old thrillers play on tube TVs like Laurie Strode's house in Halloween. Though what sets It Follows apart is the notion of possession as a metaphor for sexually transmitted disease. Jay and her friends are believable, naturalistic characters, and Mitchell does a great job of shooting in the bombed-out wasteland of Detroit, the abandoned neighborhoods creating a near documentary atmosphere of paranoia and dread. The performances are great and the opening scene is a doozy.

But as great as the elements are, the film didn't sustain for me, and really lost me in the third act. I was pretty well hooked, but the "rules" of Mitchell's horror conception weren't consistent and got sketchier as the finale grew more protracted. He's definitely got director's chops, and made a hell of a nice, fresh horror thriller for a paltry $2 million (and grossed around $15 mil). You can't help but champion his resourceful inventiveness and I'm definitely anxious to see what he does next.

I just wish It Follows had spent more time on the script - and on delivering a satisfying climax that felt worthy of its fresh premise.