#radius-twc

There are many reasons to call this film a horror masterpiece, from the striking cinematography to the very vintage score, but perhaps it’s the concept that allows it to stand out so much. It centers around a demon that is transmitted through sexual acts. Now, I know that sounds lame and all that, but it really plays into our modern society of hook-ups and one-night stands. How do you know the person you just had sex with isn’t being followed? And those who are being followed are the only ones who can see the it, which takes different forms in order to deceive you, allowing it to get closer. So this isn’t just an ordinary killer who stumbles around and gets lost and can be easily locked out of places, this is a very smart and trained killer who assess each situation and finds out the best way to kill you. 

This amps up the horror, as each time a character enters a room, there is a looming doom that it’ll show up and trap them. What helps with the overall fear of the film is the simple fact that our protagonist, Jay, doesn’t believe she is being followed. The only way to get it to stop following you is to pass it along to someone else, but if that someone dies, it’ll come right back to you. Jay is told all of this following the moment she has sex with Paul, but instantly starts to deny it. I mean, come on. It’s a crazy topic that you just wouldn’t believe unless you had proof. Unfortunately, the only way to get proof is to get touched by it, and that results in death.

Boom. Now each time she walks into a closet, bathroom, or tiny room, the audience is held in suspense. It’s terrible, actually, that once she has it following her, there’s no release to the suspense. It can appear at any time in any place. It’s just a matter of when it will show up, and in what form.

Unlike most modern horror films, this one is smartly written. The forms of it that it takes change depending on the situation. If there is a blockage, it becomes tall and strong. If there is a hole it can get through, it becomes small and fast. It’s not easily fooled either, as the terrifying pool scene explains. And with this much depth, multiple viewings are begged to allow for all the little details to be noticed. What role do the parents play in the story? What about her next door neighbor? The men on the boat? Or even that ending scene? Unfortunately, I cannot answer each question, but that’s what makes it so grand. Layers of detail aren’t saved exclusively for Christopher Nolan films, they’re for anyone willing to take the extra step. This film, thankfully, took that extra step and constructed a smart and scary thriller that will instantly become this generation’s Halloween.

Since this is a spoiler-free review, I’ll stop it here, because there is so much more I feel I could say. But then it would start to feel like a glamorization of the film, as there aren’t many bad things to be said about it. Carefully crafted, smartly acted, slowly paced, with a killer ending. That’s all I wanted, and it delivered.

Maika Monroe plays Jay Height, our protagonist, with such compelling realism that it starts to feel less like a movie. Jake Weary is Hugh/Jeff, the mysterious ass of the film who sends the story into action. Lili Sepe plays Kelly Height; Keir Gilchrist is Paul, the awkward love interest; and Daniel Zovatto plays Greg Hannigan. The cast has a strong chemistry with each other, only building the stunning realism the film strived to achieve.