It Follows

It Follows is a deeply unsettling, yet beautifully produced coming of age creeper. The story of a young woman (Maika Monroe) who is relentlessly stalked by an unknown supernatural force after a sexual encounter, it taps into primal fears such as death, abandonment, betrayal, and social ostracism. Hailed as a modern horror classic, it entrenches itself in the logic of grim and bloody fairy tales in which youngsters must fend for themselves and use their wits to outsmart and survive an evil adversary.

This brand new UHD/Blu Ray release by Second Sight boasts a plethora of rich, full-bodied bonus features for the connoisseur and casual viewer alike. Chasing Ghosts and Following are interviews with actors Keir Gilchrist and Olivia Luccardi, respectively. Both provide insight and share their experiences of working on the film, their reactions to reading the screenplay, how they prepared for their roles and the time they invested to bond with other cast members to create a believable, tight-knit group of friends. It's in the House is an in-depth interview with producer David Kaplan, who talks about the challenges of making the film, charting its evolution from screenplay to its current status as a modern horror classic.

In A Girl's World features production designer Michael Perry discussing his collaboration with writer/director David Robert Mitchell to create a cosy sense of suburbia, as well as the difficulties of filming in Detroit, how certain sets were created, and the experience of filming on location.

Composing a Masterpiece is an interview with composer Rich Vreeland, aka Disasterpiece, about his score for the film, his influences, and the films powerful use of silence to create tension and atmosphere. It Follows - The Architecture of Loneliness is a beautifully wrought video essay by filmmaker Joseph Wallace, who places It Follows in a group of specific films (including Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween) which depict the invasion of cosy American suburbia by an unspeakable, seemingly unstoppable evil, and in doing so, expose the dark, seedy underbelly of suburban life: the rot and decay beyond the white picket fence.

The audio commentary track, by film critic Danny Leigh and academic Mark Jancovich, looks into the unconventional nature of the film and not only contextualises its place within the horror genre, but also indie coming of age films. They discuss the various genres and tropes it references and subverts, paying particular attention to the atypical (for a horror film) characters, listless as they are and pining for childhood.

The jewel in the crown is the new commentary track by Joshua Grimm, author of the Devil’s Advocates book on It Follows (another must for admirers of the film). Grimm offers a critical reading of the film, analysing its various themes - including the inevitability of death, aging, isolation and paranoia - as well as a wealth of information regarding the production. He contextualises its place within the horror genre (particularly the influence of John Carpenter's Halloween and the work of David Lynch), its subversion of horror tropes, unconventional narrative structure and weird timelessness (with the odd exception, there’s a distinct lack of modern technology, most notably the absence of mobile phones, throughout). He also looks at the significance of the Detroit setting, discussing its economic decline and 'white flight', while also addressing the themes of class within the narrative. It's an 'everything you wanted to know about It Follows' in one very engaging commentary track.

The detail, care and attention lavished upon these features is incredibly vivid and really enriches the experience of watching the film – a real must for fans.