It Follows [Limited Edition] (4K UHD Review)

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

It Follows is the highly stylized 2014 horror film from director David Robert Mitchell (Under the Silver Lake). Set against the backdrop of middle-class suburban Detroit and the crumbling urban areas of the city, a teenager Jay (Maika Monroe) discovers she has been infected with a phantom entity haunting her after having sex with a mysterious, handsome guy. The supernatural being begins appearing to her and following her in the form of various, half-dressed, or undressed bodies, its sole purpose to kill her. Jay must turn to her younger sister Kelly (Lili Sepe) and her circle of friends, including Paul (Keir Gilchrist, ‘Atypical’), who has long harbored a crush on her, for help. The problem is that no one but Jay can see the entity following her, but she must find a way to stop it. It becomes clear that the only way to get rid of the infection or haunting is to pass it on to someone else through sexual contact.

There is a plot hole that is very briefly addressed in the film, and that is the obvious flaw in the ‘cure.’ It is told to Jay from the beginning that she can pass the infection on, but if the person she passes it on to dies, then it will come for her again. So why is everyone – as it is inferred – just passing this on? What if the person goes away and gets into a car accident? What if they kill themselves? What if…? The ending of the film falls into this trap, without giving anything away.

This is a very riveting and well thought out horror film, despite that one glaring flaw. The film has an undertone of social commentary in the setting of the dilapidated, ghost city that once was an industrial powerhouse. As Joseph Wallace points out in his brilliant video essay on this Second Sight release, The Architecture of Loneliness, there is an obvious allusion to the fear that drove the white flight into the suburbs and the idea that one cannot escape from a manufactured horror.

Mitchell’s visual style captures the isolation of the protagonist, with the cool colors, empty streets and rooms, and the water that pervades the film, from the opening act and the dirty above ground pool to scenes on the beach, to the gymnasium pool that plays a pivotal role. The cerulean color of water appears throughout the film is shadows, reflections on the wall, and lighting. Mitchell is less concerned with the violence and gore of other horror films and more interested in the atmosphere and psychological terror. He does this effectively and the cast of young actors deliver satisfactory performances to help set the tone.

The Video

It Follows was originally shot on the Arri Alexa Plus with Cooke S4, Fujinon Alura, Angenieux Optimo, and Arri Shift & Tilt lenses in the ProRes 4:4:4 2K format with some scenes shot on the Red Epic with Cooke S4 lenses in Redcode RAW 5K. This 4K Ultra HD release comes from a Second Sight Films 4K master produced in conjunction with the original postproduction facility and approved by the director.

Obviously, with the film originally utilizing a 2K DI and being mostly shot in 2K, this is an upscale to 4K for this new master. That said, it is a very good one, that shows a lot of detail, a clean image, and no artifacts. Additionally, the Dolby Vision color grading is beautiful, with plenty of nuanced variations on the film’s mostly cool, blue-dominated palette. For example, in Chapter 2 at the 00:07:40 mark one can see subtle variations in color, extended shadow detail and contrast and a wonderful glow from the peach-colored flower petal lamps. Chapter 3 with the “sex in the car” scene shows stark contrast between the inky black nighttime background, the tan top of the car, the brown metallic color of the car body, and the building in background. Another standout scene is one later in the pool, with sparkling, cerulean blue water. The film is presented in a 2.39:1 HEVC 2160p (4K UHD) Dolby Vision encodement.

The Audio

This release of It Follows comes with a new Dolby Atmos audio track produced by Second Sight Films. This is a brilliantly atmospheric mix that has monstrous low-end. The electronic-dominated score explodes with boneshaking low frequencies. The height awareness is strong as well, but there is not a strong amount of motion in the height and surrounds. Nevertheless, this is an enjoyable mix that fits well with the film.

The Supplements

It Follows is another of the Limited Edition releases from Second Sight that is packed with bonuses and packaged in their beautiful, chipboard slipcase with large book featuring essays. This is a collector’s dream. The video essay by Joseph Wallace is one of the best video essays I have seen on a home video release. He dives into the symbolism of the film and the history of the Detroit as it relates to the film. We also get two audio commentaries and a number of interviews.

Limited Edition Contents:

• Rigid slipcase with new artwork by Thinh Dinh
• 150-page book with new essays by Anne Billson, Martyn Conterio, Kat Ellinger, Eugenio Ercolani, Matt Glasby, Kat Hughes, Jennie Kermode and Katie Rife
• Six collectors’ art cards

Bonus Features:

• Audio Commentary by Joshua Grimm
• Audio Commentary by Danny Leigh and Mark Jancovich
• Chasing Ghosts: An Interview with Actor Keir Gilchrist (1080p; 00:19:09)
• Following: An Interview with Actor Olivia Luccardi (1080p; 00:11:57)
• It’s in the House: An Interview with Producer David Kaplan (1080p; 00:22:31)
• Composing a Masterpiece: An Interview with Composer Rich Vreeland (1080p; 00:12:57)
• A Girl’s World: An Interview with Production Designer Michael Perry (1080p; 00:24:05)
• It Follows: The Architecture of Loneliness (1080p; 00:11:02) — a video essay by Joseph Wallace

The Final Assessment

This film gets better after every watch. It is visually appealing, atmospheric, and looks and sounds reference in this Second Sight 4K release. Horror and thriller fans should scoop this up in anticipation of the spooky season.

It Follows [Limited Edition] is out in the UK on 4K Ultra HD Combo September 11, 2023, from Second Sight Films

• Rating Certificate: UK:15
• Studios & Distributors: Northern Lights Films | Animal Kingdom | Two Flints | Second Sight Films
• Director: David Robert Mitchell
• Written By: David Robert Mitchell
• Run Time: 100 Mins.
• Street Date: 11 September 2023
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Video Format: HEVC 2160p (4K UHD)
• HDR Format: Dolby Vision (HDR10 Compatible)
• Primary Audio: English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Compatible)
• Secondary Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1
• Subtitles: English HOH