It Follows
Director: David Robert Mitchell
Starring: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Jake Weary
Five stars
It Follows is without doubt the scariest movie you will see this year. And probably next year, too.
It achieves this not through elaborate CGI, gore or an elaborately crafted monster, but though sheer suspense, a solid script and keeping you rooted to your seat willing for the likeable protagonists to free themselves of the curse that has befallen them. When you’re not jumping out of your seat, that is.
The premise of the film is simple and harks back to the coming-of-age pubescent fears that underscored much classic 1980s horror. In fact, the movie owes a huge debt to that genre.
Gang of likeable teenagers – a pretty one, a geeky one, a hunky one – stalked by unspeakable evil? Check. Deceptively calm suburban setting? Check. Brilliantly atmospheric, eerie synth soundtrack that could have come straight from the mind of John Carpenter? Check.
There is a curse. It is passed on through physical intimacy, and if it kills you, it returns to the person you caught it from and hunts them down, then the person they caught it from, and so on right back down the line. Our heroine Jay (Maika Monroe) is infected by her new boyfriend, Hugh (Jake Weary), who we later learn has created a false identity to make it easier to find a victim to, at least temporarily, relieve him of his affliction.
We never really learn exactly what the “It” that proves so deadly actually is. It can adopt any human form. It often chooses wounded or elderly bodies, though the ability to take the form of your friends and family is obviously an advantage when it comes to hunting down teenagers. And it is visible only to those infected by the curse.
It doesn’t fly or shoot lasers or even wield a chainsaw. It just walks towards you, never runs. Wherever you go, it will find you, and walk towards you slowly, ominously, fatally. This might not sound very scary at all – but we discover in the film’s opening scene that you really don’t want it to get within touching distance.
When it comes to scaring audiences, it’s often true that less is more, and this incredibly simple premise and innocuous, everyday villain deliver genuine terror on an almost constant basis. The film has an obvious moral undertone. It’s easy to get rid of the curse, at least temporarily, by passing it on to the next victim, but even then you’ll never know when It has found them, killed them and will come back for you.
You’ll have to spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder, never sleep, all for one moment of pleasure. Think of the consequences of your actions, the subtext seems to scream.
It's true that horror isn't to everyone's taste. If that's the case with you, then one as bone-chillingly terrifying as this is probably best avoided at all costs. If you're a fan of the genre, however, It Follows needs to be on your must-see list. To my mind, it's the best horror film since 1999's The Blair Witch Project.
Monroe, meanwhile, looks like a star we can expect to see a lot more of. Her strong performances in this movie and last year's The Guest have been rewarded with a role as the female lead in the upcoming Independence Day 2.
It’ll be interesting to see how she makes the transition from low-budget indie horror to guns-blazing Hollywood blockbuster – but she’s one reason I might now watch a film I would, most likely, previously have ignored.
• It Follows is out in cinemas today
cnewbould@thenational.ae
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Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Sui Dhaaga: Made in India
Director: Sharat Katariya
Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav
3.5/5
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
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SQUADS
India
Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shardul Thakur
New Zealand
Kane Williamson (captain), Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham (wicketkeeper), Henry Nicholls, Ish Sodhi, George Worker, Glenn Phillips, Matt Henry, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Trent Boult