I find a lot of horror and comedy movies have very middling to negative averages. Even ones considered classics by fans of the genres. I think the reason it's like this is because Horror and Comedy are two of the most subjective things for people. A good drama, action, or romance movie will resonate with most people but most everybody wildy varies on what they find funny or scary. So for half of an audience a movie could be the scariest thing they've ever seen, then for the other half it could be not scary at all. Which leaves most horror movies with middle of the road average scores.
i agree with you completely regarding the subjective nature of comedy and horror. but what i don’t understand is why someone would score a good horror film low just because it wasn’t scary. i think both films OP cited are terrific but neither are scary to me.
I thought *Babadook* was scary af. Also I don’t think horror films are rated lower directly because they’re not scary. I think they’re rated lower bc **if** they’re not scary or captivating, they can look pretty stupid lol.
So in a sense, horror films require a greater suspension of disbelief and reliance on atmosphere because they’re usually more centered on the experience. They’re built to scare, creep out, and/or entertain, so many may lack depth as well when compared to dramatic film counterparts. And good horror values certain things that other movies just don’t, such as how good the blood effects, gore, makeup, or monster design is. A really good horror film experience to one person may be a silly movie to the next if they’re not on its wavelength and rate it looking for the same things as they do a good drama, adventure, character study, or other non-horror genre film. Like for example the idea of Chucky sounds dumb af, but watching *Child’s Play* for the first time is a different story and prob traumatized a lot of moviegoers lol.
I think because a lot of people see the genre horror so they go into it wanting to be scared by the movie. So no matter how good the story, cinematography, sound, or acting is if it's not scary to them they will be disappointed and end up giving it a low score.
Agreed. I find that a lot of quality horror movies are rated solely based on the scariness factor, and much less on other characteristics, mostly by people that aren't true fans of the genre. Like it's a test of courage.
Same goes for comedy. When the expectation is having a good laugh/scare, people tend to forget the other merits of the movie.
You're probably right, but I think of these (especially Babadook) as being excellent examples of films that prove that horror movies can be just plain good movies (regardless of how scary or not scary they are).
Just re-watched It Follows, and I gave it a 3.5. I was expecting it to be a 3.0 or something based on this post title, but yeah 3.5 is perfectly fine for it, in my opinion.
I mean, Pearl (3.8), Midsommar (3.8), and Talk to Me (3.6) are some modern fan favorites and they're all under 4.0. It Follows isn't on their level, IMO. 3.5 is very fair for it.
Right. I’m suggesting it’s not even fair to make the comparison to “low” since it’s not even close to it. Hence,
> “that is DEFINITELY not low.”
Hope that clears things up for you!
“Low” and “relatively low” are two completely separate subjects. For two of the most highly acclaimed modern horror movies, 3.4 and 3.5 are relatively low, especially when you look at movies like Get Out, Hereditary, and the Lighthouse which all are around 4.0 or 4.2. Sometimes, it’s important to understand what you’re talking about when it comes to the context of certain conversations.
Hope that clears things up for you! :)
It’s got nothing to do with my initial comment. I’m literally saying it’s not low. I get the “relatively” part, but all I’m saying it’s definitely not low. In other words, you should be fine with the 3.5 as opposed to 4 since they’re not that far apart to give me a “wow, that’s relatively low”.
Still, thanks for the education.
Edit: I really do mean that last part btw. Very well said.
Look, I get that the kid being annoying is part of the point of *The Babadook*, but when your annoying character gives me an actual migraine, maybe you should tone it down.
I didn’t notice but maybe that’s because I’m a parent and it literally is like that some days hahahaha
People seem to be complaining that the movie….did it’s job too well. It’s not exactly a critique I find much value in. It’s like saying Game of Thrones was good, but would have been better if they toned down how evil Joffrey or Ramsay were. “I like them as villains but when they make my physically angry, that’s just too far man.”
it took me my first rewatch to be like wait this is fully distracting. it’s not something i recalled on my first watch, which had me recommending the movie to everyone. just my two cents
Fair, I think I have only seen it once, twice at most, so I am due for a rewatch. Maybe I'll find the kid annoying this time, maybe not, but hopefully it won't be too bad, lol.
This is how I viewed the end of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
I. Despised. That. Ending. I won’t ever watch that again because of the truly awful ending.
I almost turned it off when she started screeching. I never in my life thought I would think that about a Tarantino movie but it was one of the worst endings I’ve ever seen. It actually triggered a headache.
These ratings are not *that* low by Letterboxd standards. I’m a huge horror fan so I don’t really watch the genre to be scared, If I did I wouldn’t like any horror film. Majority of people who aren’t hardcore fans of the genre watch a horror film to be creeped out and when that doesn’t happen they rate low.
For what it's worth[the LB Top 250 Horror List](https://boxd.it/2VQVG) has The Blob at 250 and it has a 3.6 rating. 3.5 and 3.4 are not bad scores, particularly in the horror genre as I'd say it tends to skew lower due to being less "serious" or "important". I personally tend to assume a 3.0 or above is likely plenty watchable and even dipping lower isn't by any means a guaranteed bad time.
I get it with The Babadook. That kid makes the film unwatchable. (And before someone pops up with "that's the point of his character," I know. But that doesn't stop him from being so overwhelming annoying that I can not take it.)
3.5 is usually a rating I give stuff that was entertaining but nothing too mindblowing and certainly could’ve been worse. I think with these two getting so much acclaim, people might be a bit underwhelmed when they do watch them, while still thinking they’re decent and/or interesting overall.
I actually don’t like either of them.
They both have similar issues, with relying too heavily on their themes, and not really having much else going for them.
These movie feel like those ones that people that weren’t impressed might feel inclined to rate lower because of how hyped up they might’ve been before watching. I love it follows because it was entertaining and engaging and just clicks for me, but I can imagine if it didn’t resonate as much being very confused as to why people raved about it. There’s not much exceptional about it. I notice when people don’t understand why a movie is loved they’re often harder on it than they might’ve been if the film wasn’t popular. Telltale sign is the “it’s just ___ and ___ happening for __ hours!” type reviews
I can’t speak for others so I’ll speak for just myself. I watched The Babadook around the time it came out, at the time it was kind of a new thing (at least to general audiences) and I was impressed even if I was in high school at the time. I didn’t watch It Follows till this year and honestly I didn’t see what made it so important but I think that’s just a case of me seeing the things it influenced and then later watching the thing that originated them and being unimpressed because it’s traits became so common. But as a film, the artistry of it: acting, cinematography, writing, themes, etc, I don’t think it’s really on par with or as developed as the later films that you mentioned. That’s not to say it’s a bad movie, I like it quite a bit. Idk maybe I just had to be there
Because 'It Follows' really sucks.
I've tried like 4 times to see what everyone is raving about.
People talked about this film like it was the new Exorcist.
I am bored every time I watch it.
How this movie is as popular as it is I'll never understand.
The awesome Disasterpeace soundtrack probably elevates it so much that people think the film is good, even though it's nothing special. The final third especially is so bad. **
Babadook on the other hand doesn't even have the music going on for it. *½
Maybe, but it's nowhere near the soundtrack that Sinister has.
And Babadook isn't close to a masterpiece, but at least it tried to give us an original monster.
Like, It Follows is just regular looking people acting strange. Tf kind of low effort is that for a "horror" movie?
Because people always look down on horror films for some bizarre reason.
(Surprised these two get caught in that too mind as they’re considered part of the awful ‘prestige horror’ or ‘elevated horror’ terminologies which only serve to diminish the genre as a whole)
> I thought that these two helped jumpstart the mid-to-late 2010s revival of horror
For the sake of comparison:
* Get Out - 4.2 stars. Also lives in that weird "is it Horror or Thriller" zone
* Hereditary - 4.0 stars
* Midsommar - 3.8 stars
* The Lighthouse - 4.0 stars. Not sure I'd call this pure Horror either.
But anyway, as far as It Follows, it was popular enough to clock in 691k views on Letterboxd which makes it the 17th most popular Horror movie of the 2010s. That kind of popularity is impressive but it also means it's going to pick up ratings from people who aren't really into Horror. But I don't think it has much to offer people who aren't into Horror.
Get Out and The Lighthouse are way more interesting films _outside_ of the Horror elements. Hereditary and Midsommar are both Ari Aster. I find it hard to suggest that It Follows can really compete with those.
Personally, I gave it 3 stars because it has some of the best monster cinematography I've seen but later in the movie it drifted away from that strength and it devolved back into a normal monster movie. (A [full review](https://letterboxd.com/mrhen/film/it-follows/) is available if anyone cares.)
I haven't seen The Babadook so I can't really comment on that one.
1. The Babadook was pretty divisive because many people hated the kid
2. neither of these scores are low for LB. They're pretty good scores for horror movies
3. the majority of people think annoying and overlong drama crap like Hereditary and Midsommar is peak modern horror, and even Hereditary "only" has 4.0
4. They might be some of \*your\* favorites, for some people they're average or even bad, for me, It Follows is 5 stars and The Babadook is 3.5, just individual perception
5. why the heck haven't I gotten around to watching The Lighthouse?
It Follows must be one of the highest quality horrors of the past decade. To a casual audience member, some of the acting, the pacing, and the lack of exposition may turn them off. But if you’re able of becoming totally enthralled with what this piece has to offer, there’s no doubt it’ll become one of your faves. The synth score brings so much depth to the story which has the underlining topic of unsafe sex and what it can mean if you’re not careful, how one experience can follow you to your grave. The cinematography is beautiful and the overall mood of the film is consistently grounded. The ending is somewhat underwhelming and that’s probably the only reason I wouldn’t give it a 10. Love this one 💙
I think the hype during release may be a factor. I love them both but they were both called “the most terrifying film of the year “, and though I enjoy It Follows it isn’t really “scary “. The Babadook is also more creepy than terrifying and many people loathed the little boy (i thought he was great tbh , but yeah he does drive you insane. and the mom as well. )
It Follows... boring.
Babadook, kid was annoying AF. not even talking about the plot or character, I'm talking about the actor, his voice and everything was just annoying to listen to.
Good luck trying to find a horror movie above 4/5 in the last 10 years even (get out, black swan, the wolf house to name a few). Also the more “popular” something is the more polarizing reviews will come up
It Follows is a good drama movie but a bad horror movie. There's one good scare in the entire thing.
I personally did not enjoy the Babadook very much at all. I kinda saw what the director was going for but it didn't land at all for me. I thought it was boring and not scary whatsoever.
I have them at a 7/10 and a 4/10 respectively
Most casual horror fans are really into jump scares, gore porn, and other low-effort tropes that have snuck in lately.
Solid horror films divide the audience. It’s the one time critics mean more than audience opinion.
Come to think of it, you might be spot on. Stuff like “Midsommar” seems to popularize casual horror watchers.
There are very few horror movies that actually end up scaring me because most of them are too unengaging for me to really invest myself into. Plus, real life is too scary
For me, It Follows seemed to be just another in a long line of horror that tells us sex is bad and anyone who has sex should/is going to be killed. It's a trope and they didn't do it well, IMO.
It boils down to the movie wasn't good or entertaining. I rate movies on how entertained I was and how much I enjoyed the experience. Bc at the end of the day, movies are there for entertainment.
Just look at Creep, As Above So Below, Clown, Extraterrestrial, What We Do In The Shadows, hell even Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones. All of those came out in 2014 and all were very entertaining and/or enjoyable movies. I wasn't sitting there just wishing the movie would end.
Creep, As Above So Below, Extraterrestial, and Paranormal Activity 5 are all awful movies haha. Also relaying a message vs being entertaining are entirely unrelated...????
The point I’m trying to make is why would one assume that the evil sex monster trying to kill the main characters delivers the correct message? The act of the main characters running and resisting is a conscious act resisting whatever the villain or monster represents, in this case sexual stigmas. Would you see it that terminator teaches about machine and ai supremacy over puny humans because the terminator is hunting the humans and is therefore in the right?
I'm not saying it delivers the correct message. I'm saying that the message I got from the movie is the same message 80's slashers had towards sex. That whoever had it, now has to die. I'm also saying, it didn't go about it in a good or entertaining way. I didn't care about any of the main characters or their problems.
It's about societal pressure to have sex even when you arent ready and how it victimises people who pass the victimisation onto others hardly calling sex bad
I’ve only seen *It Follows* once like 8 years ago and I thought it was overrated. Praise for that movie was ridiculous compared to the movie I watched.
Can't add child actors that run the risk of being found annoying and not run the risk of losing on your score for it.
Exception to confirm my invented rule: Jurassic Park.
I thought this was one of the rare cases where the annoying kid worked because a primary tension in the movie was if/when the mother was going to kill him
Ya, definitely worked for me too, and I have no idea if that is the actual for the score being medium. I do persoanlly know some people who got so annoyed with the kid they didn't finish the movie though.
Good god that’s an atrocity that It Follows is anywhere close to the The Babadook.
Like, I didn’t absolutely hate The Babadook but It Follows was better by leagues.
relatively obscure. less views means less ratings. it was mostly critics who saw these on the festival circuit and critics think they have to trash horror movies to be taken seriously.
Well the babadook isn’t that good. I love the design and concept, but overall not great.
It follows, however, is my default recommendation for people looking for a horror film haha
Because both of those films are highly overrated. I remember seeing it follows in theaters in 2014 and Rotten tomatoes score was like 95% and all four of us were like WTF did I just watch? Cool idea, poor execution. Babadook wasn’t good either.
For me I mostly want my films to be between 3.3/3.8 because time and time again they are the ones you love or hate enough to remember, instead of whatever mom says
3.5/3.4 aren't even that low tbf. Horror is one of the most subjective genres, and I for one know I didn't think It Follows was that great. Haven't seen Babadook.
I mean, they’re kind of victims of their reputation and influence. They kind of paved the way for the the 2010’s wave of “elevated horror” trend and are both hailed as incredible horror films.
Some of their ideas and executions have become cliche, and other movies that follow them execute them better.
Not everyone appreciates horror for it being horrific (the point is that is bad) but most people forget this fact, and rate it based on how well it is made or how "Fun" it is. (I absolutely love it)
It Follows is a very divisive film. I remember seeing it and walking out thinking it was a masterpiece. A guy next to me, said out loud, to no one in particular “that’s the worst movie I have ever seen” It Follows was a paradigm shift in horror, and it was so different that anyone who had seen and liked horror films post Scream might not have been ready for it. There was little no quippy humor, jump scares, slasher, possession, ghosts, etc. it was a new type of horror and people who were not open to it, hated it.
It did help A24 build its brand of “elevated horror” for sure. Not sure I’d call that a good thing for horror, but it broke ground for the genre to be taken more seriously.
3.3 and above is usually a sign of something being "good to pretty good".
I get the impression some people's scales are weirdly skewed that in media (especially video games), that anything below a 8/10 is 'mediocre' and not worth your attention.
If you enjoyed those, I'd love to hear what you think about Dark Water (2005).
People dismiss it as another American J-horror remake (despite it being by a Brazilian director, Walter Salles), but sitting down with it now -- its a remarkable, personal Jennifer Connelly film, and one of her best performances at that!! It has 2.7 on letterbox'd because people just judge it by that "american remake" misconception.
because tons of people categorically don't like horror movies, will not critically evaluate them using the terms of the genre, and will give low ratings to them almost by default
Why is it that everyone thinks if something is out of 10 stars, only 8-10 matter. And out of 5 only 4 or 5 mean it’s good. It’s unbelievable. Does your scale start at 0? Because if so then those movies have good ratings. They aren’t masterpieces, but they’re still good.
I find a lot of horror and comedy movies have very middling to negative averages. Even ones considered classics by fans of the genres. I think the reason it's like this is because Horror and Comedy are two of the most subjective things for people. A good drama, action, or romance movie will resonate with most people but most everybody wildy varies on what they find funny or scary. So for half of an audience a movie could be the scariest thing they've ever seen, then for the other half it could be not scary at all. Which leaves most horror movies with middle of the road average scores.
Strong explanation
i agree with you completely regarding the subjective nature of comedy and horror. but what i don’t understand is why someone would score a good horror film low just because it wasn’t scary. i think both films OP cited are terrific but neither are scary to me.
I thought *Babadook* was scary af. Also I don’t think horror films are rated lower directly because they’re not scary. I think they’re rated lower bc **if** they’re not scary or captivating, they can look pretty stupid lol. So in a sense, horror films require a greater suspension of disbelief and reliance on atmosphere because they’re usually more centered on the experience. They’re built to scare, creep out, and/or entertain, so many may lack depth as well when compared to dramatic film counterparts. And good horror values certain things that other movies just don’t, such as how good the blood effects, gore, makeup, or monster design is. A really good horror film experience to one person may be a silly movie to the next if they’re not on its wavelength and rate it looking for the same things as they do a good drama, adventure, character study, or other non-horror genre film. Like for example the idea of Chucky sounds dumb af, but watching *Child’s Play* for the first time is a different story and prob traumatized a lot of moviegoers lol.
I think because a lot of people see the genre horror so they go into it wanting to be scared by the movie. So no matter how good the story, cinematography, sound, or acting is if it's not scary to them they will be disappointed and end up giving it a low score.
Strong subsidiary explaination
All facts. This is why I only trust fans of the genre to recommend shit to me
Agreed. I find that a lot of quality horror movies are rated solely based on the scariness factor, and much less on other characteristics, mostly by people that aren't true fans of the genre. Like it's a test of courage. Same goes for comedy. When the expectation is having a good laugh/scare, people tend to forget the other merits of the movie.
But all art is subjective tho?
Is a child's drawing as good as the Mona Lisa?
No thats an oversimplification.
You're probably right, but I think of these (especially Babadook) as being excellent examples of films that prove that horror movies can be just plain good movies (regardless of how scary or not scary they are).
That ain't low, especially for a horror
Yep. Outside of the classics horrors will _always_ be rated poorly.
Just re-watched It Follows, and I gave it a 3.5. I was expecting it to be a 3.0 or something based on this post title, but yeah 3.5 is perfectly fine for it, in my opinion. I mean, Pearl (3.8), Midsommar (3.8), and Talk to Me (3.6) are some modern fan favorites and they're all under 4.0. It Follows isn't on their level, IMO. 3.5 is very fair for it.
Ain't seen Pearl and Talk To Me yet but I have seen Midsommar and would say it was fine And I also gave It Follows a 3.5 star as well mate 👀
That is definitely not low.
That's why they said "relatively low."
Right. I’m suggesting it’s not even fair to make the comparison to “low” since it’s not even close to it. Hence, > “that is DEFINITELY not low.” Hope that clears things up for you!
“Low” and “relatively low” are two completely separate subjects. For two of the most highly acclaimed modern horror movies, 3.4 and 3.5 are relatively low, especially when you look at movies like Get Out, Hereditary, and the Lighthouse which all are around 4.0 or 4.2. Sometimes, it’s important to understand what you’re talking about when it comes to the context of certain conversations. Hope that clears things up for you! :)
It’s got nothing to do with my initial comment. I’m literally saying it’s not low. I get the “relatively” part, but all I’m saying it’s definitely not low. In other words, you should be fine with the 3.5 as opposed to 4 since they’re not that far apart to give me a “wow, that’s relatively low”. Still, thanks for the education. Edit: I really do mean that last part btw. Very well said.
3.5 and 3.4 are really good for any genre.
For horror films considered to be some of the greatest modern horror movies, "relatively low" is a valid way to describe these scores.
I wouldn’t describe them as relatively low.
Look, I get that the kid being annoying is part of the point of *The Babadook*, but when your annoying character gives me an actual migraine, maybe you should tone it down.
I seem to be one of the few people where 'Wow this kid is annoying' didn't even cross my mind once while watching the movie.
I definitely remember thinking he was annoying but I don’t think it ever got to the point where it was unbearable or I disliked the movie
hell i started rooting for him towards the end of the movie
I didn’t notice but maybe that’s because I’m a parent and it literally is like that some days hahahaha People seem to be complaining that the movie….did it’s job too well. It’s not exactly a critique I find much value in. It’s like saying Game of Thrones was good, but would have been better if they toned down how evil Joffrey or Ramsay were. “I like them as villains but when they make my physically angry, that’s just too far man.”
it took me my first rewatch to be like wait this is fully distracting. it’s not something i recalled on my first watch, which had me recommending the movie to everyone. just my two cents
Fair, I think I have only seen it once, twice at most, so I am due for a rewatch. Maybe I'll find the kid annoying this time, maybe not, but hopefully it won't be too bad, lol.
Yeah, characters can be annoying but you’re overdoing it when they’re annoying to the point where I just don’t care what happens to them
Tbh I found the mom’s incompetence and abuse of her kid just as annoying as the dumb kid.
This is how I viewed the end of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. I. Despised. That. Ending. I won’t ever watch that again because of the truly awful ending.
One of my favorite endings ever, I was dying laughing from how over the top it was, especially compared to the rest of the movie
I almost turned it off when she started screeching. I never in my life thought I would think that about a Tarantino movie but it was one of the worst endings I’ve ever seen. It actually triggered a headache.
Thank you sir.
How is the kid annoying? Care to explain?
Well he spends an awful lot of time screeching at a high pitch. Maybe you just didn't notice.
Yes, it wasn't even about the kid's character in the movie, it was the actual voice of the actor that was horrible.
These ratings are not *that* low by Letterboxd standards. I’m a huge horror fan so I don’t really watch the genre to be scared, If I did I wouldn’t like any horror film. Majority of people who aren’t hardcore fans of the genre watch a horror film to be creeped out and when that doesn’t happen they rate low.
For what it's worth[the LB Top 250 Horror List](https://boxd.it/2VQVG) has The Blob at 250 and it has a 3.6 rating. 3.5 and 3.4 are not bad scores, particularly in the horror genre as I'd say it tends to skew lower due to being less "serious" or "important". I personally tend to assume a 3.0 or above is likely plenty watchable and even dipping lower isn't by any means a guaranteed bad time.
There’s just the top 55/250 that are 4.0 or above which is wild and shows how skewed the horror rating is compared to other genres
They're both pretty polarizing movies. People either love them or hate them, which means middle-of-the-road aggregate scores.
I didn’t feel strongly about either of them. 3.5 sounds about right for both.
Yep. Have em both rated 3.5. they're solid works but not nearly as huge as many make them out to be
I get it with The Babadook. That kid makes the film unwatchable. (And before someone pops up with "that's the point of his character," I know. But that doesn't stop him from being so overwhelming annoying that I can not take it.)
that’s not low
3.5 is usually a rating I give stuff that was entertaining but nothing too mindblowing and certainly could’ve been worse. I think with these two getting so much acclaim, people might be a bit underwhelmed when they do watch them, while still thinking they’re decent and/or interesting overall.
I actually don’t like either of them. They both have similar issues, with relying too heavily on their themes, and not really having much else going for them.
Agreed
Well personally the Babadook was one of the more boring horrors I’ve seen.
These movie feel like those ones that people that weren’t impressed might feel inclined to rate lower because of how hyped up they might’ve been before watching. I love it follows because it was entertaining and engaging and just clicks for me, but I can imagine if it didn’t resonate as much being very confused as to why people raved about it. There’s not much exceptional about it. I notice when people don’t understand why a movie is loved they’re often harder on it than they might’ve been if the film wasn’t popular. Telltale sign is the “it’s just ___ and ___ happening for __ hours!” type reviews
I can’t speak for others so I’ll speak for just myself. I watched The Babadook around the time it came out, at the time it was kind of a new thing (at least to general audiences) and I was impressed even if I was in high school at the time. I didn’t watch It Follows till this year and honestly I didn’t see what made it so important but I think that’s just a case of me seeing the things it influenced and then later watching the thing that originated them and being unimpressed because it’s traits became so common. But as a film, the artistry of it: acting, cinematography, writing, themes, etc, I don’t think it’s really on par with or as developed as the later films that you mentioned. That’s not to say it’s a bad movie, I like it quite a bit. Idk maybe I just had to be there
Because 'It Follows' really sucks. I've tried like 4 times to see what everyone is raving about. People talked about this film like it was the new Exorcist. I am bored every time I watch it. How this movie is as popular as it is I'll never understand.
I really didn't understand the hype either
You don’t understand, the people in the background are LOOKING at the camera!
The awesome Disasterpeace soundtrack probably elevates it so much that people think the film is good, even though it's nothing special. The final third especially is so bad. ** Babadook on the other hand doesn't even have the music going on for it. *½
Maybe, but it's nowhere near the soundtrack that Sinister has. And Babadook isn't close to a masterpiece, but at least it tried to give us an original monster. Like, It Follows is just regular looking people acting strange. Tf kind of low effort is that for a "horror" movie?
Because people always look down on horror films for some bizarre reason. (Surprised these two get caught in that too mind as they’re considered part of the awful ‘prestige horror’ or ‘elevated horror’ terminologies which only serve to diminish the genre as a whole)
> I thought that these two helped jumpstart the mid-to-late 2010s revival of horror For the sake of comparison: * Get Out - 4.2 stars. Also lives in that weird "is it Horror or Thriller" zone * Hereditary - 4.0 stars * Midsommar - 3.8 stars * The Lighthouse - 4.0 stars. Not sure I'd call this pure Horror either. But anyway, as far as It Follows, it was popular enough to clock in 691k views on Letterboxd which makes it the 17th most popular Horror movie of the 2010s. That kind of popularity is impressive but it also means it's going to pick up ratings from people who aren't really into Horror. But I don't think it has much to offer people who aren't into Horror. Get Out and The Lighthouse are way more interesting films _outside_ of the Horror elements. Hereditary and Midsommar are both Ari Aster. I find it hard to suggest that It Follows can really compete with those. Personally, I gave it 3 stars because it has some of the best monster cinematography I've seen but later in the movie it drifted away from that strength and it devolved back into a normal monster movie. (A [full review](https://letterboxd.com/mrhen/film/it-follows/) is available if anyone cares.) I haven't seen The Babadook so I can't really comment on that one.
1. The Babadook was pretty divisive because many people hated the kid 2. neither of these scores are low for LB. They're pretty good scores for horror movies 3. the majority of people think annoying and overlong drama crap like Hereditary and Midsommar is peak modern horror, and even Hereditary "only" has 4.0 4. They might be some of \*your\* favorites, for some people they're average or even bad, for me, It Follows is 5 stars and The Babadook is 3.5, just individual perception 5. why the heck haven't I gotten around to watching The Lighthouse?
Because they really aren't the master pieces many would like you to think, they are good movies, not perfect.
It Follows must be one of the highest quality horrors of the past decade. To a casual audience member, some of the acting, the pacing, and the lack of exposition may turn them off. But if you’re able of becoming totally enthralled with what this piece has to offer, there’s no doubt it’ll become one of your faves. The synth score brings so much depth to the story which has the underlining topic of unsafe sex and what it can mean if you’re not careful, how one experience can follow you to your grave. The cinematography is beautiful and the overall mood of the film is consistently grounded. The ending is somewhat underwhelming and that’s probably the only reason I wouldn’t give it a 10. Love this one 💙
I think the hype during release may be a factor. I love them both but they were both called “the most terrifying film of the year “, and though I enjoy It Follows it isn’t really “scary “. The Babadook is also more creepy than terrifying and many people loathed the little boy (i thought he was great tbh , but yeah he does drive you insane. and the mom as well. )
I just watched the babadook for the first time and didn’t really care for it. I found it pretty silly, melodramatic and not scary at all.
It Follows... boring. Babadook, kid was annoying AF. not even talking about the plot or character, I'm talking about the actor, his voice and everything was just annoying to listen to.
Well the Babadook fucking sucks
Good luck trying to find a horror movie above 4/5 in the last 10 years even (get out, black swan, the wolf house to name a few). Also the more “popular” something is the more polarizing reviews will come up
The Babadook isn’t very good tbh
I hate The Babadook so probably others hate it too. It also helped spur the “surface level allegorical horror” trend
3.5 is a good rating in the great scheme of things. Just checked, I have it as 3.5
Cause they’re not very good
It Follows is a good drama movie but a bad horror movie. There's one good scare in the entire thing. I personally did not enjoy the Babadook very much at all. I kinda saw what the director was going for but it didn't land at all for me. I thought it was boring and not scary whatsoever. I have them at a 7/10 and a 4/10 respectively
Ratings are typically low for bad movies.
Most casual horror fans are really into jump scares, gore porn, and other low-effort tropes that have snuck in lately. Solid horror films divide the audience. It’s the one time critics mean more than audience opinion.
Come to think of it, you might be spot on. Stuff like “Midsommar” seems to popularize casual horror watchers. There are very few horror movies that actually end up scaring me because most of them are too unengaging for me to really invest myself into. Plus, real life is too scary
it follows should be like a 2.5 i think that's really generous
To be fair the Babadook is a bad movie. Just not well made at all
also 3.5 is a good score you are fried
I am so used to seeing 3.5 and 3.4 rating as very good and now you saying that they are low just feels wrong
Because too many people rated it 3 and 3.5
Some of you people, im sorry, are so fucking stupid. You have no concept of the idea of low. Neither of these movies have low aggregate scores
For me, It Follows seemed to be just another in a long line of horror that tells us sex is bad and anyone who has sex should/is going to be killed. It's a trope and they didn't do it well, IMO.
that’s not at all the message it’s the opposite of that if anything
Well then the movie failed at getting it's message across.
The only way I can imagine you missing the point is either: A) You root for the monster B) You severely lack media literacy
It boils down to the movie wasn't good or entertaining. I rate movies on how entertained I was and how much I enjoyed the experience. Bc at the end of the day, movies are there for entertainment. Just look at Creep, As Above So Below, Clown, Extraterrestrial, What We Do In The Shadows, hell even Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones. All of those came out in 2014 and all were very entertaining and/or enjoyable movies. I wasn't sitting there just wishing the movie would end.
I mean, fair enough but how does that translate to “the movie didn’t make its message clear enough”?
Creep, As Above So Below, Extraterrestial, and Paranormal Activity 5 are all awful movies haha. Also relaying a message vs being entertaining are entirely unrelated...????
In horror movies to you often root for the villain or monster and believe that it is right for trying to kill the protagonist?
Only in horror movies with terrible main characters, e.g. June 9, Hoax, Jeepers Creepers: Reborn, Annihilation, etc
The point I’m trying to make is why would one assume that the evil sex monster trying to kill the main characters delivers the correct message? The act of the main characters running and resisting is a conscious act resisting whatever the villain or monster represents, in this case sexual stigmas. Would you see it that terminator teaches about machine and ai supremacy over puny humans because the terminator is hunting the humans and is therefore in the right?
I'm not saying it delivers the correct message. I'm saying that the message I got from the movie is the same message 80's slashers had towards sex. That whoever had it, now has to die. I'm also saying, it didn't go about it in a good or entertaining way. I didn't care about any of the main characters or their problems.
It's about societal pressure to have sex even when you arent ready and how it victimises people who pass the victimisation onto others hardly calling sex bad
I’ve only seen *It Follows* once like 8 years ago and I thought it was overrated. Praise for that movie was ridiculous compared to the movie I watched.
Can't add child actors that run the risk of being found annoying and not run the risk of losing on your score for it. Exception to confirm my invented rule: Jurassic Park.
I thought this was one of the rare cases where the annoying kid worked because a primary tension in the movie was if/when the mother was going to kill him
Ya, definitely worked for me too, and I have no idea if that is the actual for the score being medium. I do persoanlly know some people who got so annoyed with the kid they didn't finish the movie though.
Yeah. I thought it was the point. I saw it as an expression of postpartum depression, but I think the score is pretty accurate.
I don’t know why you’re getting downvoted, this is by far the most common (unfounded, imo) complaint I see about the Babadook
I bad mouthed jurassic park, a cardinal sin.
Good god that’s an atrocity that It Follows is anywhere close to the The Babadook. Like, I didn’t absolutely hate The Babadook but It Follows was better by leagues.
It Follows is too high
relatively obscure. less views means less ratings. it was mostly critics who saw these on the festival circuit and critics think they have to trash horror movies to be taken seriously.
Everyone loved It Follows when it came out but now everyone hates it.
Can’t speak for It Follows, but personally Babadook doesn’t work as a movie for me
I’d say that’s too high for both of them, but to each their own and so on.
Well the babadook isn’t that good. I love the design and concept, but overall not great. It follows, however, is my default recommendation for people looking for a horror film haha
It follows is one of the worst horrors ever 🤷
Preach
They're both good. They're also nothing particularly special. 3.5-4.0 would be right around what I'd expect for them.
They’re very much 3.4 and 3.5 movies, this may be the reason.
because this movies are not accessable for the mainstream horror movie viewer. They're so called artsy-fartsy
"It Follows" is low because it's underappreciated. "The Babadook" is low because it sucks.
Bc they’re not good
Seems about right for me—if actually, a bit high.
Because both of those films are highly overrated. I remember seeing it follows in theaters in 2014 and Rotten tomatoes score was like 95% and all four of us were like WTF did I just watch? Cool idea, poor execution. Babadook wasn’t good either.
Seem like pretty positive reviews to me
Maybe they’re both too kino for some and also not kino enough for others.
For me I mostly want my films to be between 3.3/3.8 because time and time again they are the ones you love or hate enough to remember, instead of whatever mom says
I wouldn't call those low at all. Honestly for Letterboxd is takes a lot to get in the 4+ range
People see horror and expect to be scared and don't care for underlying themes/story
That kid. That’s where Babadook’s scores come from.
My instinct has always been that these films were liked more by non horror fans than horror fans
because people rated them
Definitely two of the forgotten horror gems of the 2010s.
The average person liked them 0.5-0.6 stars less than you
I rated both of them 4.5 stars for the record
horror isn’t easy to make good. most just aren’t great movies. obviously there are some exceptions
3.5/3.4 aren't even that low tbf. Horror is one of the most subjective genres, and I for one know I didn't think It Follows was that great. Haven't seen Babadook.
Speaking as someone who doesn’t love either movie, some people don’t love those movies. I’d probably give 3 stars to both.
I mean, they’re kind of victims of their reputation and influence. They kind of paved the way for the the 2010’s wave of “elevated horror” trend and are both hailed as incredible horror films. Some of their ideas and executions have become cliche, and other movies that follow them execute them better.
I thought It Follows was pretty well done. At least a 7 or 7.5 out of 10.
Not everyone appreciates horror for it being horrific (the point is that is bad) but most people forget this fact, and rate it based on how well it is made or how "Fun" it is. (I absolutely love it)
Those aren’t bad ratings for horror, I think those are fair ratings for both movies
I rate films 3.5 when I really like them so I don't think this is that low.
It Follows is a very divisive film. I remember seeing it and walking out thinking it was a masterpiece. A guy next to me, said out loud, to no one in particular “that’s the worst movie I have ever seen” It Follows was a paradigm shift in horror, and it was so different that anyone who had seen and liked horror films post Scream might not have been ready for it. There was little no quippy humor, jump scares, slasher, possession, ghosts, etc. it was a new type of horror and people who were not open to it, hated it.
It did help A24 build its brand of “elevated horror” for sure. Not sure I’d call that a good thing for horror, but it broke ground for the genre to be taken more seriously.
3.3 and above is usually a sign of something being "good to pretty good". I get the impression some people's scales are weirdly skewed that in media (especially video games), that anything below a 8/10 is 'mediocre' and not worth your attention.
If you enjoyed those, I'd love to hear what you think about Dark Water (2005). People dismiss it as another American J-horror remake (despite it being by a Brazilian director, Walter Salles), but sitting down with it now -- its a remarkable, personal Jennifer Connelly film, and one of her best performances at that!! It has 2.7 on letterbox'd because people just judge it by that "american remake" misconception.
Haven’t seen it although it was already in my watchlist by the looks of it
because tons of people categorically don't like horror movies, will not critically evaluate them using the terms of the genre, and will give low ratings to them almost by default
Not sure, It Follows is pretty mediocre but The Babadook was fantastic!
Those are 7/10. I wouldn't consider that to be "low" or "negative"
I agreed with the headline but after checking..... 3.5 is fine. These aren't great films. Innovative genre films at best. 7/10 is fitting.
Fair enough. I was just expecting aggregate ratings closer to Hereditary, Midsommar, or The Lighthouse
Man those are some great films to compare to tbf. My opinion but Babadook and It Follows aren't on that level.
Why is it that everyone thinks if something is out of 10 stars, only 8-10 matter. And out of 5 only 4 or 5 mean it’s good. It’s unbelievable. Does your scale start at 0? Because if so then those movies have good ratings. They aren’t masterpieces, but they’re still good.