It Follows 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

It Follows 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

What a horrible night to have a curse.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III July 26, 2024

Debuting at Cannes over a decade ago, David Robert Mitchell's It Follows has earned quite a name for itself since then; it presents a perfectly capable surface-level horror film with several interesting layers to peel back, while its foreboding atmosphere and memorable soundtrack bring their own flavors to the stew. The UK-based boutique label Second Sight already got a jump on It Follows' 10th anniversary with this appealing UHD Limited Edition combo pack, which is also available in more affordable 4K and Blu-ray keepcase editions. All feature outstanding A/V merits and an identical set of mostly new bonus features, with this bulker LE option also adding in a few deluxe packaging elements.

It Follows has been released on Blu-ray several times in different regions; American fans should be more than familiar with Anchor Bay's 2015 domestic Blu-ray while fans in the UK likely own Icon Film Distribution's 2015 Region B Blu-ray. They were reviewed respectively by Martin Liebman and Dr. Stephen Larson, both of whom awarded the film 5/5 stars for similar reasons. I'm not certain that a third analysis is necessary at this point... but though I'm hesitant to award it those same marks, this is clearly a genre standout and has held up extremely well during the past ten years. The film's marriage of cinematography, symbolism, music, and performances all work to create an unforgettable experience, one with clear influences but its own distinct cinematic voice. Many of these elements are further detailed and analyzed in Second Sight's excellent slate of bonus features, almost all of which are new-to-disc and well worth watching.

It Follows 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NOTE: These screenshots are from Second Sight's Region B Blu-ray, included with this set or available separately.

Second Sight's new 2160p/HDR10 (Dolby Vision capable) transfer is reportedly sourced from a brand-new 4K master built from It Follows' digital source elements; this process was apparently produced in conjunction with the original post-production facility and the end result approved by director David Robert Mitchell. As such, it's been polished to an absolute shine here and looks much more film-like than before, with a less processed appearance and buttery-smooth line edges that show no ringing, artificial enhancement, or extraneous levels of noise. Bright and mid-level values show a much greater range of detail, specifically in the way that sunlight filters through windows and color values intersect with one another. Even if you're not set up for Dolby Vision, the base HDR10 elements add quite a lot here: It Follows' distinct palette is better resolved and extremely tight (while not compromising its original color timing, I might add), which also improves darker scenes that are no longer flat black. The image remains clean and almost entirely damage-free; I might have been able to spot one or two specks along the way, but that's it. Tying everything together is Second Sight's reliably solid encoding process as well as mastering and quality control by Fidelity in Motion, with the main feature running at a very supportive bit rate from start to finish. All told, it's top-tier work for sure.

For my thoughts on the included Blu-ray's 1080p/SDR transfer, please see my review linked above.

It Follows 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Of equal interest is Second Sight's newly-created Dolby Atmos mix, which provides a nice bump to the original DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track which is included here as well. This is more than a simple addition of height channels, of course, with better-prioritized discrete effects and a better balanced overall sound field; in direct contrast, the 5.1 mix leans a bit heavy on the rear channels in my opinion. Still, the use of height channels also adds its own flavor, with a handful of smooth overhead effects placed appropriately as well as generally stronger support for atmospheric ambience including the unforgettably crunchy electronic score. LFE is perhaps better refined as well; again, it's not so much dialed back as more carefully controlled, creating what I believe to be the better sonic experience by a decent margin. Of course, the original's still here so feel free to pick your favorite, but any way you slice it this is clearly a 5/5 effort.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only, not the extras listed below.

It Follows 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This two-disc Limited Edition 4K/Blu-ray combo pack sits in a Digipak case with separate hubs. Also tucked inside the sturdy outer slipcase is a handsome 150-page hardback book with brand-new essays by several ​​critics and journalists including Anne Billson, Martyn Conterio, Kat Ellinger, Eugenio Ercolani, Matt Glasby, Kat Hughes, Jennie Kermode and Katie Rife, as well as images from the film and production credits. Six collectors' art cards are bound together inside too, some of which include artwork by Thinh Dinh that's used for the book and outer case. Similar to past Limited Edition releases from Second Sight, this is a first-class effort with plenty of style and substance.

On-disc extras are fairly plentiful and almost all of them are new-to-disc, which means there's minimal overlap with Icon Film Distribution's 2015 Region B Blu-ray and none are identical to Anchor Bay's 2015 domestic Blu-ray.

• NEW! Audio Commentary - This exclusive new commentary features Louisiana State University professor Joshua Grimm (author of "It Follows: Devil's Advocates"), who goes into detail about the production, technical details, themes, and other critical insights. There's obviously going to be some repeated info between this and other supplements -- not to mention the countless video essays and other writings about It Follows during the last decade or so -- but it's a well put-together and casual track that's worth a listen for fans of the film.

• Audio Commentary #2 - A similarly solid legacy track with film critic Danny Leigh and film professor Mark Jancovich originally produced for Icon's Region B Blu-ray, reviewed above.

• NEW! Chasing Ghosts: An Interview with actor Keir Gilchrist (19:09) - "Paul" sits down for a short but insightful interview that finds him talking about his character, the casting process, working with director David Robert Mitchell and other members of the cast, his own thoughts on the film's themes, and more.

• NEW! Following: An Interview with actor Olivia Luccardi (11:57) - Another short but solid new interview, "Yara" similarly speaks briefly about landing the role, auditioning for another character, her first impressions of the director, her thoughts on the script and the finished film, and other related topics.

• NEW! It's in the House: Interview with Producer David Kaplan (22:31) - Though slightly older looking, this interview is dated 2023 and finds the producer speaking about his previous work with David Robert Mitchell, general production info such as location scouting and logistics, the script-to-screen process, and more.

• NEW! Composing a Masterpiece: Interview with Composer Rich Vreeland (12:57) - Another fairly recent video interview, this sit-down with the composer (AKA "Disasterpeace") is different from the shorter one found on earlier Blu-ray editions and goes into detail about his creative process for the film's score.

• NEW! A Girl's World: Interview with Production Designer Michael Perry (24:05) - It Follows' production designer speaks candidly about previous work in commercials and with filmmaker Gary McKendry (Killer Elite), a career-threatening injury, reading the script for It Follows almost by chance, meeting the director, experience and influences, minimalism out of necessity, designing the "shell phone", and much more.

• NEW! It Follows: The Architecture of Loneliness (11:02) - This fairly insightful video essay was written and narrated by Joseph Wallace, who dissects the film's themes in terms of its location and atmosphere.

It Follows 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Anchor Bay released a decent Blu-ray edition of writer/director David Robert Mitchell's It Follows almost a decade ago, and I'm surprised that a domestic boutique label has yet to reissue the film in 4K. But at this point, they don't need to: Second Sight's outstanding Limited Edition UHD combo pack or standard 4K release are both region-free and contain a striking new 2160p/HDR10 (Dolby Vision enabled) transfer, Dolby Atmos audio, and a full slate of new extras. The Blu-ray movie disc with identical extras -- again, included with this Limited Edition or available separately -- is Region B locked, but otherwise I've got no reservations recommending this set to any and all interested parties.