As a horror film fan and movie maven, I was delighted by the uptick in high quality albeit often over looked horror films in the 2010s. Many of these films have since been dubbed ‘elevated horror’ and that particular facet of the genre has grown significantly in pop culture as we have seen it reach commercial heights with the likes of ‘Get Out’ and ‘A Quiet Place’. I would argue that all great horror is elevated, but that is a conversation for another time.
After much deliberation I chose 'It Follows' as the best horror film of the 2010s. The film revolves around a young woman who is stalked by a mysterious entity after a sexual encounter. The film's streamline script, palpable performances, unforgettable score, and arresting visuals make for an all-around enjoyable albeit unnerving experience.
One particular aspect of the film I found intriguing is that the creature, whatever ‘it’ is, is not implied to be demonic or supernatural in nature. It is conveyed as predatory and of the natural world. Throughout the film there are several instances of imagery and of theme, apart from interaction with the creature itself, that evoke the idea of nature being cruel and indifferent. Our very first interaction with the main character shows her casually drowning an ant that is crawling on her while she is in a pool. She is not evil. but she was apathetic towards what was ultimately an indifferent murder of a creature far below her on the food chain.
The ingenious part of ‘It Follows’ is how it fashioned such a powerful, effective, and simple-yet-brilliant allegory about the inherent dread of living with an STD or any kind of chronic illness for that matter.
MY RATING 4.5/5
'It Follows' as well as a vast array of elevated horror films are available to check out at The Brown Deer Public Library.
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