Full disclosure, I am scared to death of people not really being there or of people I know suddenly not being who they are. So if these concepts scare you, you'll enjoy this as much as I did.
So this college student is dating a cute boy who she decides to sleep with for the first time in the back of his car even after he has an odd freak out at a movie theater but hey, he's pretty. He then chloroforms her and ties her to a chair and explains what he has just passed on to her. From this scene on I was hooked. Seriously creepy. And every time It shows up I wanted to hide my eyes but I also didn't want to miss out on being actually scared. If you've seen a horror movie in the last few years you know this is hard to come by.
The movie seems to be set in the 80s (old cars, lack of cell phones and computers) and yet one character has what seems to be a Kindle in a compact case so I was confused by this. I think the retro look is supposed to be a nod to 80s horror films. Now, I've read a lot of reviews that compare this to Halloween and other 80s classics, but I didn't really see this. It does have a classic look but it just didn't scream Halloween at me. Way too much of a slow burn with more of an insidious fear that builds up, instead of the instant terror of a guy in a mask breaking into your room and slashing about.
The tenaciously creepy atmosphere is what kept me watching, even when I knew it was going to keep me awake. "It" shows up somewhat randomly, and a couple of times It confused me because it looked so much like a couple of the actors. Then I remembered that It has the ability to look like someone you love. There were also times where it wasn't clear if the person walking by or looking at the main characters was It or just some random person passing by.
The ending is not groundbreaking or all that exciting, but it doesn't take away from the rest of the film. Watch it for the creepy It that follows the main characters and the building tension. Again, I was really creeped out and thus I enjoyed this movie thoroughly. If you're looking for something suspenseful and a little different, check it out. Maybe not by yourself like I did... but then again, the person you're with might not be who you think they are anyway so you might be better off alone.
