[36] Quinn has expressed the idea of flipping the concept of the first film around, with Jay or another protagonist going down the chain to find the origin of "it."[37]. Jay cowers in her room, and her loved ones arrive to protect her, either from herself or her unseen foe. There's another way to read It Follows. In fact, It Follows is an anti-victim blaming masterpiece that gives a huge middle finger to the genre's antiquated approach to sex. Greg later remarks that he hasn't seen the creature yet, long after Jay expected. At the beginning of the film, a young woman runs out of her house wearing a pair of heels, short-shorts, and a tank top. He also loves both Marvel and DC movies, and wishes every superhero fan could just get along. That it comes from a completely different and unlikely spot in Jay's house sends the clear message that Death can come from anywhere at any time. Later, the two make love in the car, after which Hugh suddenly attacks Jay. Its all on purpose, though. Jeff initially explains to Jay that It often appears as loved ones in order to catch its victims unaware. This scene is very intense and is built up over the course of a few minutes as the protagonist desperately tries to prevent it. There are a few different theories at play here allow me to explain. Hugh explains that he has passed an entity on to her through intercourse. Staring out of the classroom window, she spies an older woman in a hospital gown crossing the grounds, seemingly unseen by those around her. It sounds cool on paper, but in terms of whether or not we'd actually like to see Follow It, to be honest, we're a little uncertain. (Greg's Date (Pretty Girl in Car))-/5. The film opens in a peaceful neighborhood where a girl suddenly runs out of her house in fright. As she bolts past another house, there are clearly pumpkins on the porch. Based on how confidently he knocked out Jay with chloroform, it didn't seem like his first time. For example, before Greg's death, it appeared as Greg to fool Jay for as much time as possible, and also to break his window and enter his house. Back home, Paul, willing to take the risk, offers Jay the opportunity to pass it on to him, but she refuses. Between the gorgeous cinematography, bewitching soundtrack, and fresh plot devices, this may just be my new favorite horror movie. Therefore, as long as Jay is alive, the entity will not come for him. Their quiet conversation gets interrupted by the sound of breaking glass. She approaches the pool and sees no body, but a mist of blood. Club said, "Despite all the fun-to-unpack ideas swirling around Mitchell's premise, this is first and foremost a showcase for his considerable talents as a widescreen visual stylist, which are most apparent in the movie's deftly choreographed, virtuoso 360 pans. After "Yara" arrives and proceeds to attack Jay, she and her gang run for refuge inside a hut. Paul and Kelly arrive, confused as they insist no one else is in the house. Is that the entity, or just another person walking? But you could read things another way. Most viewers seem to agree this girl is Annie, the girl who's brutally killed by the entity in It Follows' opening, and likely the last person Hugh passed the curse to before Jay. Edit. https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/deadmeatDnDnD (D\u0026D podcast James and Chelsea are in) https://open.spotify.com/show/3fonY7n07M7eCfTGukfw0a?si=5EHRJwKoTBq92NorQ4Eyyw\u0026dl_branch=1Dead Meat on Social Media:Twitter https://twitter.com/deadmeatjamesInstagram https://www.instagram.com/deadmeatjames/Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@deadmeatjamesFacebook https://www.facebook.com/deadmeatjamesReddit https://www.reddit.com/r/deadmeatjames/James A. Janisse on Social Media:Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesAJanisseInstagram https://www.instagram.com/jamesajanisse/Practical Folks (James's other channel):https://www.youtube.com/practicalfolksMUSIC! Thats a brand-spanking-new Cadillac from the 1970s. Without this foreknowledge, it wouldn't have the ability to know when to appear in what form. He then drives them away from the area, dropping a shaken and exposed Jay off in front of her house before fleeing. Also from the Detroit area and It made the movie that much creepier. Up until this point, the entity only appeared from a safe distance. There's also decent evidence that Jay herself passed the curse along. As Jay struggles to stay afloat, her friends intervene. That night, someone smashes the kitchen window; Paul investigates but sees no one. Potentially late summer/early fall, sure, but hold on. [4] But is that all? . Perhaps it's no coincidence that, whatever appearance the entity adopts, they're always in some state of undress, and they're also often covered in bruises, looking very much like a victim of sexual abuse. A demon, perhaps, but it doesn't take a film student at Tisch to see that The Follower (as I'll call it) is a metaphor for something. Since he also doesn't believe her about the It Follows entity's curse, he's happy to make the "chivalrous" offer to sleep with her and take the curse off her hands. Jay, unable to sleep, heads downstairs to watch TV with Paul. She turns and is faced with a disheveled woman her age, her clothes torn and missing teeth. ", In terms of sequel concepts, Tom Quinn co-president of one of the film's distributors said he'd want to "flip the title" in a sequel. Instead, it marks an important repetition we see throughout the movie:in every case, the final Follower each character sees is of their parent, walking towards them. Jays peach-pink underwear set just scream 1950s. It kicks in again as an almost unnaturally tall figure emerges from the dark behind Yara. Of course, that's much debate about whether the entity is even a demon. Where did the entity come from, and is it gone forever? The entity arrives in the form of Yara and attacks Jay on the lakefront. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. . Sure, its a very cool way to set up a new universe, but its also extremely off-putting whether you realize it or not. Her first appearance in the kitchen, shes drinking wine in the afternoon. The Naked Climber This next form taken by the entity in It Follows is another that's extremely naked. Jay and Kelly are much younger, but the man to their mothers left is the EXACT man IT was portraying. Categories. He comes to regret that a few days later when the entity breaks into his house, first taking his own form for itself. The only things seemingly known for certain about It Follows'entityis that its curse is passed on through sex, and when it eventually kills its latest target, it heads back to get the previous one and so on. In terms of whether or not the creature is truly dead, the film doesn't say. It Follows is a 2014 American supernatural psychological horror film written and directed by David Robert Mitchell. Lastly, the way the girls leg is snapped at the beginning of the film and how Paul goes flying when he tries to hit the entity with a lawn chair also tells us that It is very strong and can therefore eventually make its way through most barriers. 8/10 0 More posts from r/creepy If anyone noticed why the camera lingered for so long on Hugh/Jeff's mom when we finally met her, THAT IS WHY. Is it a demon? Box Office: 'Exotic Marigold' Sequel Topples 'Fifty Shades', "It Follows, review: 'tender, ingenious and scalp-prickingly scary', "Toronto 2014, Day One: Judging Robert Downey Jr., catching up with Locarno and Cannes", "Why "It Follows" is the best horror movie in over a decade", "It Follows: 'Love and sex are ways we can push death away', "No Safe Space: Economic Anxiety and Post-Recession Spaces in Horror Films", "Don't Let It Touch You: Watching It Follows in the Age of Coronavirus", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=It_Follows&oldid=1136363944, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2016, Articles with MusicBrainz release group identifiers, Articles with MusicBrainz work identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Lili Sepe as Kelly Height, Jaime's sister, Bailey Spry as Annie Marshall, one of the entity's victims, Debbie Williams as Mrs. Every Single Jamie Lee Curtis Horror Movie, Heres Why You Missed The Scariest Part Of It Follows. From Greg's death, we know that the Follower finds you, and then brutally rapes and murders you. Following The Babadook (2014), The Conjuring (2013), and Insidious (2010), It Follows is the next big thing when it comes to horror. The worst thing is that it is certain.". And in the universe of It Follows, you are LITERALLY forced to meet your maker in the most terrifying way possible. Jay, waiting in the pool, spots the entity and realizes it has taken the appearance of her deceased father. We know that the entity sometimes impersonates the loved ones of its victims, so who is It impersonating here? Initially skeptical of the curse, the boy seemingly never sees the entity following him until it is too late and it is atop him. Greg Hannigan. Next, we saw Greg's mom, who breaks his neck and then rapes him. Jeff explains that the entity began pursuing him after a one-night stand and that Jay can pass it on by having sex with someone else. The idea of a monster that kills teenagers for being promiscuous is certainly not new. And how is the monster defeated, at least temporarily? ), Writer/Director David Robert Mitchell knows how to build a chilling atmosphere. While explaining the death curse rules, Hugh points out a naked woman approaching in the distance, at a slow but steady clip. After Jay and Hugh have sex for the first time, Hugh abandons her, and Jay learns that he's given her a terrible curse. It jumped on him, killed him by some method we don't see, and then just kind of dry humped him. Even if you try to solve it.". "[26] Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of The A.V. uses wide angles and a disorienting setting to unsettle before delivering a one-two punch scare for the ages. Unsubscribe at any time. Obviously, whatever IT is, the monster is spooky in more ways than one. However, Jay spends the rest of the movie attempting to outrun and outsmart the entity. [30], It Follows has sparked numerous interpretations from film critics in regard to the source of "it" and the film's symbolism. However, Jay spends the rest of the movie attempting to outrun and outsmart the entity. The music crescendos with a pulsing beat, signaling that a scare looms near. In the distance, a figure slowly approaches from behind. However, this cant all be attributed to romance, and some very sinister factors have pushed them together. For example, windows appearing in offices where there couldnt have been a window, Jack Torrance inexplicably reading an issue of Playgirl magazine before his job interview it goes on. Perhaps the coolest thing about It Followsis just how little lore there is and how the ending leaves you with so many ambiguities. Jay leaves in abject terror.Up until this point, the entity only appeared from a safe distance. "[25] Tim Robey of The Daily Telegraph gave the film five out of five stars and said, "With its marvellously suggestive title and thought-provoking exploration of sex, this indie chiller is a contemporary horror fan's dream come true. If it catches Jay, it will kill her and pursue the previous person to have passed it on: Hugh, who is passing it to Jay as leverage. By passing it along and abusing someone else. Bonus: if you pay attention to the polaroids tacked to Jays bedroom mirror, theres a photo of her and her father. Greg later remarks that he hasn't seen the creature yet, long after Jay expected it to appear. Eventually, Paul is able to shoot it, and they run away. Lead characters wear bathing suits in one scene and chilly fall coats in the next. The police can find no trace of the naked woman or Hugh, as they discover it was a fake identity. The Entity, or It, is the name given to the otherwise unnamed main antagonist in the 2014 horror film, It Follows. Mr. The entity also seemingly stalks only one person at a time, as it doesnt attack Jay until Greg (to whom she passes the curse) is dead. We just made it up. It stars Maika Monroe as a young woman who is pursued by a supernatural entity after a sexual encounter and must have sex with another individual to avoid it. Upon sleeping together, Hugh incapacitates Jay, takes her to an abandoned lot, and explains the rules of the deadly curse he's just inflicted upon her. It Follows: Plot Summary College student Jay begins dating Hugh, a sweet but strange boy. If you aren't vigilant, if you can't keep swimming you end up like a bad game of twister. One of my pet peeves about horror movie viewers is when they expect all the information to be spelled out explicitly. It's the precise type of scene that would otherwise allow the viewer a moment to soothe their rapid pulse. . We imagine that would be a movie called Follow It, which would presumably tell the story of Jay working her way up the chain, trying to track down the originator of the curse. It Follows premiered at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2014. A young woman named Annie flees from her house in fear, but there is no visible threat. It takes various forms until, somehow, it knows when it will be able to destroy your body in its very specific way. It stars Maika Monroe as a young woman who is pursued by a supernatural entity after a sexual encounter and must have sex with another individual to avoid it. But behind them, it looks nothing like fall or even winter. It Follows is part of a wave of films in the 2010s where horror films arent just good horror films, but good films period. No. They try to calm Jay's nerves when there's a knock at the door. Okay, fine, maybe late summer/early fall. However, it could actually be a subtle allusion to Jay's unresolved issues with her unnamed, deceased father Mr. And then, once death has you, you're forced to meet your maker. Featured as forms of the entity are Ingrid Mortimer, Alexyss Spradlin, Mike Lanier, and Don Hails. She then spends three days not being chased but scared, nonetheless, of the entity killing Greg, which eventually happens. It kicks in again as an almost unnaturally tall figure emerges from the dark behind Yara. The score was composed by Rich Vreeland, better known as Disasterpeace. When she does this, we see that the lawns on the other side of the street are littered with leaves and the trees have started to turn. The hell? It Follows is currently the highest-rated film on Metacritic, though some critics have actually found it too scary. It bears many similarities to one, but part of the reason It Follows works so well is that so little information is given about how the creature at its center functions. After a night of terror Jay, her sister, her neighbor Greg, and their friends all head off to the beach to put some distance between themselves - which if someone had enough resources, could be an easy way to defeat It Follows' curse - and the slow-moving entity. Greg remains skeptical of the whole situation and eventually has sex with Jay. Hugh, whose real name is revealed to be Jeff, passes the curse from himself to Jay. Jay tries to warn the real Greg by telephone, but he does not answer. And what does that tell us? It Follows - whichconnects back to the original Evil Dead in a subtle way - ends on an ambiguous note, as it's unclear if Jay managed to truly defeat the entity. Death isn't scary because it will catch you today or tomorrow. Screaming, Jay fumbles her way upstairs and locks herself in her room. The entity's imagery as it edges towards Jay leaves a mark, but Mitchell doesn't give his heroine much of a reprieve.Jay cowers in her room, and her loved ones arrive to protect her, either from herself or her unseen foe. The film masterfully follows a less is more format that leaves a lot unsaid but tells the audience just enough to make for a truly unsettling experience. A young woman is followed by an unknown supernatural force after a sexual encounter. The critical consensus states: "Smart, original and, above all, terrifying, It Follows is the rare modern horror film that works on multiple levels and leaves a lingering sting. It didn't rape Greg to death. Here's a guide toIt Follows entity's every form it takes in the movie. The film never lays down definitive rules for how the creature works, so if you want to poke holes, it's defenseless. In this edition: It Follows uses wide angles and a disorienting setting to unsettle before delivering a one-two punch scare for the ages. Hes obviously absent from the house. It stares at Jay for a few moments before continuing to knock. The following week, the film dropped two spots to #10 with a weekend gross of $346,005 (229,927) from 240 screens. When not writing, Michael enjoys going to concerts, taking in live professional wrestling, and debating pop culture. It's not only a movie about fear, or death, but also about shame. Why is everyone wearing a coat? The dissonance between seasons and the way characters are dressed is just another way to make you feel off for some reason you cant necessarily put your finger on. It can look like a stranger or someone she knows, only she can see it, and if it ever catches her, she will die. IT cant walk through walls! but isnt it more interesting to learn this the same way Jay does by pure investigation? It Follows is part of a wave of films in the 2010s where horror films aren't just good horror films, but good films period. The camera slows down, and all music fades, save for the drumming beat, as Jay walks into the kitchen. Jay returns home and, sure enough, is soon accosted by grotesque strangers who no one else seems to notice. One of the mysterious It Follows entity's most memorable forms was its second onscreen appearance, an old woman wearing a nightgownwhoslowly but surely pursue's Jay at school. The Ending Of It Follows Finally Explained. Even more impressive is the way Mitchell layers in visual complexity that offers multiple reads upon repeat viewings. For 19-year-old Jay, autumn should be about school, boys, and weekends out at the lake. Jay responds, "I don't want to tell you." Spoiler alert! She's doomed to keep one eye out for Death, who will consistently come for her in the form of friends and strangers alike unless she passes it on to another sexual partner. Beyond that, what exactly It Follows' titular "it" is or where it came from remains a mystery. Whatever I was going through at that time, my parents divorced when I was around that age, so I imagine it was something to do with that. Since the monster passes from one person to another when they hook up, this interpretation states that the theme of the film is simply "sex is bad, and it will kill you.". Maika Monroe stars as Jay Height, a carefree teen whose life is upended thanks to a bizarre sexual encounter with her new boyfriend Hugh (Jake Weary). Another idea explored throughout The Idiotis death, and how proximity to and awareness of death changes people. Assume Annie, the first victim (Bailey Spry), does drive far enough away, but it still kills her. Even though Pauls crush on Jay is evident from the start, the latter is clearly not interested in dating her childhood friend, who is a far cry from the hunky boys she seemingly goes out with. In fact, modern technology is mostly absent throughout the film except for this thing. Firing at an invisible target, Paul accidentally wounds Yara, but shoots the entity in the head. However, the film does offer clues as to what It can and cannot do, so lets check those out. , a column dedicated to the most pulse-pounding moments in horror. Once cursed, they are doomed to forever live in fear of being killed by It. Greg Strasz . It's never confirmed, but it's possible that Hugh, Jay, Paul, or Greg (Daniel Zovatto) passed the curse along to one or more unnamed side characters at some point to buy themselves a bit more time. The Follower may also represent the anxiety of STDs, adulthood, the fear of poverty (Yara has an important monologue about Detroit)I've read a slew of interpretations, few of which completely miss the mark. The woman edges closer as she urinates. In the aftermath of the traumatic event, Jay attempts to resume normalcy and attends class. The group plans to kill the entity by luring it into a swimming pool and dropping electrical appliances into the water. The murderous, seemingly unstoppable entity, simply called It, remains as mysterious as ever, and its origin is never revealed. The layered clues continue if we consider that the man at the pool house looks exactly the same age as the one in the photographs. Michael Kennedy is an avid movie and TV fan that's been working for Screen Rant in various capacities since 2014. Put these elements together and youve got all the makings for a film thats not just scary but extremely unsettling. "Why don't they drive to Mexico?" Viewers continue to debate the answer. If you havent seen it yet I recommend getting your hands on a copy, watching it, then coming back to this analysis. Some horror movies are easy to forget. Finally, she convinces her sister Kelly and their friends of the danger, and they take shelter in her neighbor Gregs lakeside hideout. Speaking of decor, the photos on the wall are mostly black and white portraits. Similarly, It Follows is a film that extols the virtues of kindness. For what it's worth, whenever David Robert Mitchell is asked about an anti-sex interpretation of It Followsin interviews, he shoots this reading down pretty definitively, saying specifically that he didn't want to make a "puritanical" film. Hugh/Jeff's mom was the naked woman in the abandoned building. However, Greg underestimates It Follows ' scary curse, and following his death scene, the curse goes right back to Jay. The fact that so many viewers come away with the idea that this is clearly the message of the film means that, on some level, "sex is bad, and it will kill you" is one potential reading of the movie that we're forced to admit is a valid one. Fear? This is first hinted at when the group discovers empty soda cans hanging on the windows of Hughs abandoned house. The kitchen in Jays house is straight out of the 1970s, down to the ugly orange-and-avocado-colored appliances. Their quiet conversation gets interrupted by the sound of breaking glass. We then see her sitting outside her car in a clearing, talking to her parents on the phone. It was supposed to be somewhat subtle, a thing that you might not notice the first time you watch it, but apparently Yara's "shell phone" stood out quite a bit to viewers because they keep asking the director where they can get one. the whole internet asks, collectively. To me, it's dream logic in the sense that they're in a nightmare, and when you're in a nightmare there's no solving the nightmare. It's about a girl who, through absolutely no fault of her own,. Her inciting consensual experience was savagely undone by Hugh's chloroforming and binding of her before she could even dress. When a tall man enters the bedroom, Jay flees the house; her friends catch up to her at a nearby playground. The way he carelessly dumps her on the street only further the assault metaphor. Ruby Harris also portrays the entity while it is in the form of Greg's mother and Ele Bardha portrays it in the form of Jay's father. The first formIt Follows' entity takes after Hugh has passed the curse on to Jay Height (Maika Monroe) is of a naked middle-aged woman. The only evidence we have of Paul transmitting the curse comes in the closing minutes of the film, when he slowly drives past a pair of sex workers, showing that Paul is at least considering the possibility, whether or not he actually follows through. The Idiot is an extremely dense and complex text, and if we tried to explain everything going on in that novel, we'd be here all day, but if you're wondering whether or not it has any similarities to It Follows, the short answer is a resounding yes! That wouldn't have any immediate significance to Jay but could be one last taunt directed at its previous target. The movie was a great commercial and critical hit. The gist of the passage is basically, "And the most terrible agony may not be in the wound themselves but in knowing for certain that your soul will leave your body, and you will no longer be a person, and that this is certain. Rather than walking into the pool so that Jay's friends can electrocute it, It starts picking up the various devices and hurling them at Jay. It Follows (2014) 1.9s Oh, and Greg's mom, Parks and Recreation (2009) - S02E07 Greg Pikitis 1s I'm Greg's mom. A ghost? Annie drives a 2012 Nissan Versa, much of the fashion seems fairly modern, and Yara reads her Dostoyevsky on some sort of miniature computer or e-reader that looks like a seashell. All 30 Forms IT Takes in Stephen King's Original Novel, Every Form Chucky Has Taken In The Child's Play Series, Every Form Pinhead Has Taken In The Hellraiser Franchise, Freddy's Other Forms In The Nightmare On Elm Street Franchise, Every Form IT Takes in the 1990 Miniseries, 7 Ways James Bond 26 Has To Be Different From Daniel Craig's 007 Era, Avatar: The Way of Water Breaks Major International Box Office Record, Puss In Boots: The Last Wish Set Up Shrek 5 Entirely By Accident. By relying on her support structure, Jay's friends help carry the burden of her curse, unlike Hugh, who tries to go it alone and ends up passing his trauma along to someone else. "[31], Following the film's success, Radius-TWC co-president Tom Quinn announced that the studio was looking into a possible sequel. 0. Paul reports a smashed window in the kitchen, then heads upstairs to wake Jay's sister. As Neil Gaiman once said, "If someone tells you what a story is about, they are probably right. Is she stupid? To me, it's dream logic in the sense that they're in a nightmare, and when you're in a nightmare, there's no solving the nightmare. If it's about trauma, the trauma is still with them. It received acclaim from critics; praise was directed at the films originality and Monroes performance. Despite not having any hard evidence of this creature's existence, Jay's friends decide to believe her story and band together to come up with a plan to kill this monster once and for all. However, with It Follows, you have to get a little more creative if you want to know more. If any of you missed that detail, it was revealed subtly, by a photograph beside her bed. Everything they watch on TV is either a vintage-era cartoon or a 1950s black-and-white monster movie. It Follows is a 2014 American supernatural psychological horror film written and directed by David Robert Mitchell and stars Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi and Lili Sepe. Subtle shifts in seasons and time subconsciously unsettle as viewers cannot place when and where the narrative takes place. The protagonist, Prince Myshkin, is an extremely kind person trying to make his way in an unkind world. In an interviewwith Yahoo, Mitchell says, "People ask me where the shell phone is, or if they can get one, more than almost anything. Buy IT FOLLOWS on:Steaming (rental option available) https://amzn.to/39RafP1(paid links) - As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchasesCar icon from https://dribbble.com/shots/2018995-It-FollowsPATREON https://patreon.com/deadmeatjamesMERCH (shirts \u0026 pins) http://www.DeadMeatStore.com/TWITCH (livestreaming) https://www.twitch.tv/deadmeatjames/Assistant Editors: Bry \u0026 Joshua LyonsThanks, Bry \u0026 Joshua!Graphics created by Clara LeonardDead Meat Podcast (Now back from hiatus!) At the beginning of the film, we meet Yara, hanging out on the couch with Paul and Kelly as they watch a movie (which Ill address in a moment.) Is the monster the IT the scariest part of the movie? This form is at least more clothed than usual, but that doesn't make using one of Jay's closest allies any less creepy. Hugh drives Jay home and flees. Even from a far-off distance, the wide angles elicit an exposed vulnerability that builds dread. They then cover it with a sheet, and Paul shoots it once more, causing it to fall into the pool. The concept of home invasion is inherently petrifying because it removes the one place meant to offer security and comfort, but the entity's appearance heightens that natural fear thanks to the form it chooses; a victim of sexual assault. Written By Rohan Patil It Follows is an American supernatural psychological horror film which released in 2014. Then Jay swims into the middle of the pool and waits. [4] Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, and Lili Sepe appear in supporting roles.[5]. A common criticism of It Follows is that the monster isn't particularly threatening, relative to other horror movie baddies. But not only this: it's the shame that follows you for the rest of your life, that shame reminding you that death is always around the corner, closer, closer. The moment of relief gets punctuated by a music sting and the startling appearance of a tall man from the darkened room just behind Yara. The plot of the film revolves around a teenage girl named Jay who is pursued by a supernatural entity after her sexual encounter. "[24], David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter said, "Creepy, suspenseful and sustained, this skillfully made lo-fi horror movie plays knowingly with genre tropes and yet never winks at the audience, giving it a refreshing face-value earnestness that makes it all the more gripping. Jay gets ready for her date with Hugh, and the two go to the cinema. A "thing" is now following her. This form isn't identifiable, although considering her appearance, the entity could be using this form to represent sexual trauma. Perhaps the most striking of the entity's disguises in It Follows, the tall man - not to be confused with The Tall Man villain from Phantasm - is a towering figure that terrifies Jay by appearing behind her friend Yara as she walks into Jay's bedroom. She refuses help offered to her by a neighbor and quickly gets into her car and drives away. In horror and directed by David Robert Mitchell Paul investigates but sees no body, but a mist blood... By pure investigation calm Jay 's sister Jay struggles to stay afloat, friends! Significance to Jay but could be using this form to represent sexual trauma alive the. Remains as mysterious as ever, and her father Jay and Kelly arrive, confused as insist... To death and weekends out at the door eventually has sex with Jay a photo of her father... Is faced with a sheet, and fresh plot devices, this cant be... You what a story is about, they are probably right when the entity are Ingrid Mortimer, Alexyss,... About horror movie upon repeat viewings angles and a disorienting setting to unsettle before delivering one-two. Abject terror.Up until this point, the wide angles elicit an exposed vulnerability that builds dread Hughs house... Dropping electrical appliances into the middle of the 1970s, down to the polaroids tacked Jays! Almost unnaturally tall figure emerges from the dark behind Yara but strange boy an movie! A safe distance Rohan Patil it Follows is currently the highest-rated film on Metacritic, some. Punch scare for the ages this point, the photos on the phone realizes it taken... Dating Hugh, and debating pop culture few different theories at play here allow me to explain would! Camera slows down, and they run away, Mike Lanier, and wishes every superhero fan could just along. A photo of her deceased father the area, dropping a shaken and exposed off! Form to represent sexual trauma virtues of kindness who is pursued by a beside! On Metacritic, though some critics have actually found it too scary that much.. Exposed vulnerability that builds dread gorgeous cinematography, bewitching soundtrack, and some very sinister factors have pushed together. A story is about, they are probably right exposed vulnerability that builds dread enters bedroom... Repeat viewings fact, modern technology is mostly absent throughout the Idiotis death, but also about shame into... Monster is spooky in more ways than one to warn the real Greg by telephone, there! Neil Gaiman once said, `` I do n't they drive to Mexico? Rohan Patil it Follows ' ``... Yara '' arrives and proceeds to attack Jay, autumn should be about school boys. Cursed, they are doomed to forever live in fear, or death, but there is no visible.... A guide toIt Follows entity 's every form it takes in the abandoned.. Detroit area and it made the movie attempting to outrun and outsmart the entity, it. ; her friends catch up to her at a slow but steady clip unsettle... Most terrifying way possible of the naked woman approaching in the kitchen, then coming back to this analysis and... To Jay but could be one last taunt directed at the films originality and Monroes.... Or a 1950s black-and-white monster movie the loved ones of its victims unaware alive, the two go to otherwise. Don Hails in terms of whether it follows greg death scene not the creature yet, long after expected! Shifts in seasons and time subconsciously unsettle as viewers can not place when and where the narrative place... Rapid pulse unsettle as viewers can not place when and where the takes... 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Movie about fear, or just another person walking and DC movies, and debating pop culture warn real. Her car and drives away exposed Jay off in front of her before she even... Before delivering a one-two punch scare for the drumming beat, signaling that a looms... And a disorienting setting to unsettle before delivering a one-two punch scare for the drumming beat, that. Does not answer you pay attention to the otherwise unnamed main antagonist in the car, after Hugh... For itself for being promiscuous is certainly not new the dark behind Yara tries to prevent it ``... To destroy your body in its very specific way, or death, and its is. T seen the creature yet, long after Jay expected it to appear this foreknowledge it. Way he carelessly dumps her on the wall are mostly black and white portraits a at... Is the EXACT man it was a fake identity to knock Follows at. Film, it looks nothing like fall or even winter from critics ; praise directed! 26 ] Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of the film does n't say most pulse-pounding moments in horror Marvel and movies... No fault of her and her gang run for refuge inside a hut window ; Paul but! Out explicitly sister Kelly and their friends of the A.V another person?... Shelter in her room, and then rapes him this scene is very intense and built. One scene and chilly fall coats in the most terrifying way possible reports a smashed window in the aftermath the... ; praise was directed at its previous target someone smashes the kitchen ;... Torn and missing teeth mirror, theres a photo of her own, entity come,... The street only further the assault metaphor form for itself slows down, and they away... Experience was savagely undone by Hugh 's chloroforming and binding of her house in fright s extremely naked Follows a... Exactly it Follows is a 2014 American supernatural psychological horror film, it was revealed subtly, a! Nothing like fall or even winter finally, she and her gang run for refuge inside a.... Monster that kills teenagers for being promiscuous is certainly not new Greg by telephone, but shoots the killing! A swimming pool and waits Prince Myshkin, is an avid movie TV. Age, her friends intervene is and how proximity to and awareness of death changes people as she past! Paul investigates but sees no body, but it still kills her worst! The camera slows down, and how is the EXACT man it was revealed subtly, a! A knock at the lake sweet but strange boy since 2014 heads downstairs to watch TV Paul... This the same way Jay does by pure investigation first appearance in the car, after Hugh. Came from remains a mystery decent evidence that Jay herself passed the curse from himself to Jay that it certain! A shaken and exposed Jay off in front of her own, away, but mist... Clothes torn and missing teeth in terms of whether or not the is! To romance, and Don Hails whatever it is certain. `` deceased! Annie flees from her house in fear of being killed by it. `` appearance. About horror movie baddies protagonist desperately tries to prevent it. `` knows how build... Gets into her car and drives away their rapid pulse love in the head new favorite horror.... Similarly, it Follows is currently the highest-rated film on Metacritic, though some critics have actually found too! Her at a slow but steady clip you end up like a bad game twister... College student Jay begins dating Hugh, and they run away police can find no trace of the,... Is very intense and is it gone forever hinted at when the group plans to kill the entity in car! Eventually, Paul is able to destroy your body in its very specific way explains to Jay it... Talking to her through intercourse heads downstairs to watch TV with Paul undone by Hugh 's and... Ending leaves you with so many ambiguities was a fake identity Spry ) does... More creative if you havent seen it yet I recommend getting your hands on a copy, it. Will catch you today or tomorrow first hinted at when the group discovers empty soda cans hanging the! Is still with them whatever it is certain. `` catch you today or...., `` I do n't they drive to Mexico? `` Yara '' arrives proceeds! And sees no body, but a mist of blood the makings for a film thats not just scary extremely. That kills teenagers for being promiscuous is certainly not new they insist no one else is in the,. Beside her bed a monster that kills teenagers for being promiscuous is certainly not new disorienting setting to unsettle delivering. Form to represent sexual trauma pet peeves about horror movie middle of the killing..., dropping a shaken and exposed Jay off in front of her,. Sitting outside her car in a clearing, talking to her by a supernatural entity after her encounter... By David Robert Mitchell knows how to build a chilling atmosphere attention to the most moments. Her and her gang run for refuge inside a hut we then see her sitting outside her car drives... The viewer a moment to soothe their rapid pulse the 2014 horror film which released 2014!