2014 horror film by David Robert Mitchell, "An Unpredictable Release: Four Surprising Facts about It Follows' Road to Success", "Exploring the horror of 'It Follows': David Robert Mitchell interview", "David Robert Mitchell on his striking new horror film, 'It Follows', "U.K. One other aspect of the creature that seems apparent is a sadistic side, given its tendency to take forms sure to emotionally upset its prey. Whatever the reason the It Follows monster chooses a particular form to take, the result always has one thing in common; being terrifying. Viewers continue to debate the answer. Next:Every Form IT Takes in the 1990 Miniseries. Jay leaves in abject terror. Yes, obviously you still see vintage or old cars around nowadays, but its pretty rare for them to be in perfect condition especially when owned by a 21-year-old. One of my pet peeves about horror movie viewers is when they expect all the information to be spelled out explicitly. The Naked Climber This next form taken by the entity in It Follows is another that's extremely naked. Since everyone thats been cursed can see It, both Paul and Jay are able to see the entity and seem to have decided to try and survive the curse together. We simply don't know what this thing can do and can't do, as the film is unconcerned with dumping exposition to inoculate itself against this form of "plot hole"-centric film criticism, opting instead to keep the monster unknowable and mysterious, for good and for ill. Hugh's claims are proven accurate when a naked woman appears and walks straight for Jay. 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. Yara is that annoying friend whos ALWAYS on their phone no I am not going to explain to you what just happened during the movie youre SUPPOSED to be watching PUT YOUR DARN PHONE AWAY except wait, thats not a phone! Obviously, whatever IT is, the monster is spooky in more ways than one. Subtle shifts in seasons and time subconsciously unsettle as viewers cannot place when and where the narrative takes place. Alone, Jay cautiously makes her way to the kitchen to see the damage for herself. They plan on luring the entity into the pool and then electrocuting it. We probably don't need to guess what she wanted from the guys on board. Its well-known that during filming of The Shining (1980), director Stanley Kubrick employed a lot of techniques to keep the viewer feeling off-balance or eerie without knowing why. Before going on her date with Hugh/Jeff, Jay is seen swimming in her backyard pool. Greg later remarks that he hasn't seen the creature yet, long after Jay expected it to appear. After their plan to electrocute their tormentor fails, Jay has sex with Paul, and the film ends with her seemingly shielded by him (for the time being). It didn't rape Greg to death. The way he carelessly dumps her on the street only further the assault metaphor. From what I understand, it's an anxiety dream. By subscribing, you agree to the terms of our Privacy Policy, 70s Horror Movies: 100+ Scary Films from the 1970s, 30+ Horror Movies For Beginners Start Here, Turkish Horror Movies: Scary Movies Movies Made in Turkey, Bollywood Horror Films: The Best Hindi Scary Movies, 30+ Summer Horror Movies To Keep You Screaming All Season Long, 19 of Jordan Peeles Favorite Horror Movies, Best Russian Horror Movies: From the Soviet Union to Today, Best Horror Movies on Netflix Right Now (March 2023), Spanish Horror Movies: The Best Scary Movies in Spanish, Scream Queen! Other horror movies make an impression. Your pulse never changes during the initial viewing, and a week later, you barely remember the experience. In a way, it's a fair question. The set further disorients with decor from various eras- unconventional and made-up technology clashes with retro televisions that play '50s sci-fi features. Why cant I have? Almost certainly. Sure, it was shot in the head, but we don't know whether or not that's enough, and since the director isn't giving us answers, we have to figure this out ourselves by looking at the film's themes. Are you ready to get under the skin of It Follows and see what its trying to tell us? You can't kill it, you can't reason with it, and you can run for a little while, but you can't run from it forever. WHY?). The Entity, or It, is the name given to the otherwise unnamed main antagonist in the 2014 horror film, It Follows. In a way, the It of It Follows ends up being the scariest monster in horror film history, because from a certain point of view, it's real, and one day, it really will get you. It wasn't the best movie I've ever seen but I thought they did a good job and it's worth a watch. With the help of their neighbor, Greg Hannigan, the group discovers Hugh's real name Jeff Redmond and traces him to his address. 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. It's quiet and unassuming, out there somewhere in the world, slowly walking towards you. It's not only a movie about fear, or death, but also about shame. In an interview with Digital Spy, Mitchell says, "I'm not personally that interested in where 'it' comes from. Therefore, we can piece together that the entity has taken on the likeness of the girls father. Their quiet conversation gets interrupted by the sound of breaking glass. It's likely that Annie, the girl killed at the beginning of the film, was a former lover of his that he sacrificed to the creature. In fact, modern technology is mostly absent throughout the film except for this thing. So wait, is it summer or fall? [8], Mitchell started writing the film in 2011 while working on a separate film he intended to be his second feature film; however, Mitchell struggled with this would-be second feature and made It Follows as his next film instead. The entity busts open a hole in the door, then comes after them as a creepy young boy. I think thats exactly what David Robert Mitchell did in It Follows. The entity didn't just enter her home to claim her, but it exploited her trauma, too. It's the precise type of scene that would otherwise allow the viewer a moment to soothe their rapid pulse. They try to calm Jay's nerves when there's a knock at the door. Therefore, the major reason the two are together is most likely so they dont have to deal with the entity alone. Staring out of the classroom window, she spies an older woman in a hospital gown crossing the grounds, seemingly unseen by those around her.Highly disturbed, Jay's friends agree to spend the night to keep her company. At school, Jay sees an old woman in a hospital gown walking towards her, invisible to others. She approaches the pool and sees no body, but a mist of blood. Height's fate isn't explained in It Follows but he's clearly not in the picture anymore. This represents the idea that sometimes, people who are abused process their trauma in the most unhealthy way possible by becoming abusers themselves. A ghost? Many signs point to it being a period piece. 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. 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). Beyond that, what exactly It Follows' titular "it" is or where it came from remains a mystery. It Follows debuted at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and was later purchased by Radius-TWC for distribution. stunt coordinator Craig Gubert . In an interview with Yahoo Movies, director David Robert Mitchell clarified that Hugh's understanding of the monster's "rules" are just based on his experiences, and they're perhaps inaccurate. With a minimalist approach to storytelling, the success ofIt Followsas a compelling horror film owes much to Mitchell's use of wide shots and distinct visual style and production design. When a tall man enters the bedroom, Jay flees the house; her friends catch up to her at a nearby playground. 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. He then drives them away from the area, dropping a shaken and exposed Jay off in front of her house before fleeing. Hes been dead for years, which is why the girls seem more complacent and put-together theyve learned to cope but their grieving mother is still despondent, self-medicating with alcohol. It's been a core element of horror films like John Carpenter'sHalloween and theFriday the 13thmovies for so long that nowadays, this trope rarely appears unironically. Youre trying to figure out what the time period is and there simply isnt one. Even more impressive is the way Mitchell layers in visual complexity that offers multiple reads upon repeat viewings. It Follows (2014) 3 Rated-ARRR 8 yr. ago It was a really good movie. Is it a demon? Jays peach-pink underwear set just scream 1950s. In order to kill the entity that's following Jay, her friends come up with a truly audacious plan. So what's this old cliche doing here? Greg Hannigan - Raped to death by the Entity. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. It Follows is a 2014 psychological supernatural horror film that centers on a mysterious entity that relentlessly follows its victims. Even if you try to solve it. Shortly after he gets the curse, there's a scene when Greg is hanging out and flirting with a group of girls. . To prove his point, he shows her a naked woman that has mysteriously appeared in the distance and keeps walking towards them relentlessly. We then see her sitting outside her car in a clearing, talking to her parents on the phone. Greg Strasz . Then Kelly manages to throw a sheet over the creature, allowing Paul to shoot the monster in the head. [17] That same day, the film also received a limited release in Canada by Mongrel Media. No. The decor in Jays house is very old-looking, almost like youd expect to see at your grandparents. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. Greg later remarks that he hasn't seen the creature yet, long after Jay expected. The next morning, she is found brutally murdered, with her leg twisted and snapped at an unnatural angle. Jay tells the truth to her friends, and they believe her, helping her fight a monster that they themselves literally can't see. The police can find no trace of the naked woman or Hugh, as they discover it was a fake identity. )Writer/Director David Robert Mitchell knows how to build a chilling atmosphere. The worst thing is that it is certain.". Hes obviously absent from the house. Therefore, Jay refusing to tell her sister Kelly who the entity resembles is a subtle hint that the man that It looks like is someone the girls know. It Follows is part of a wave of films in the 2010s where horror films arent just good horror films, but good films period. This time the woman is topless but also looks to have been brutally beaten, even to the point of missing teeth and she also urinates on the floor. Then Jay swims into the middle of the pool and waits. Sure, these could be grandparents, but even the photos of young Kelly and Jay seem more like photos from the 1960s-1970s. But is that all? SPOILERS AHEAD. "[7] The role that sexual transmission plays came later, from Mitchell's desire for something that could transfer between people. Even more impressive is the way Mitchell layers in visual complexity that offers multiple reads upon repeat viewings. In a couple of the photographs, you'll see that same bearded man. As she bolts past another house, there are clearly pumpkins on the porch. . Her inciting consensual experience was savagely undone by Hugh's chloroforming and binding of her before she could even dress. When teens have sex, a monster kills them. The film doesnt go out of its way to tie things up and ends on a sinister note. Each of its appearances happens to fulfill a specific purpose. It doesnt exist. We know that the entity sometimes impersonates the loved ones of its victims, so who is It impersonating here? In terms of whether or not the creature is truly dead, the film doesn't say. And given that he isn't actually in the rest of the film, the odds are likely that he's either divorced from their mother or dead. 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. stunt utility . The woman edges closer as she urinates. After turning into Greg, the entity then transformsinto his mother, who's naked under an open robe. They rob you of your sleep. It was given a limited release in the United States on March 13[15] and a wide release on March 27[16] in 1,200 theaters. Related: Every Form Chucky Has Taken In The Child's Play Series. Greg Hannigan is a Recurring Character in The Film It Follows, He is a 19 Year Old College Student. Writer and director David Robert Mitchell conceived the film based on recurring dreams he had in his youth about being followed: "I didn't use those images for the film, but the basic idea and the feeling I used. Hugh/Jeff's mom was the naked woman in the abandoned building. Maybe he left? That wouldn't have any immediate significance to Jay but could be one last taunt directed at its previous target. Related: Freddy's Other Forms In The Nightmare On Elm Street Franchise. Finally, she convinces her sister Kelly and their friends of the danger, and they take shelter in her neighbor Gregs lakeside hideout. If that's all a fan gets from this film, there's obviously quite a bit that they're missing. 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. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. 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. He then drives them away from the area, dropping a shaken and exposed Jay off in front of her house before fleeing. A "thing" is now following her. The set further disorients with decor from various eras- unconventional and made-up technology clashes with retro televisions that play '50s sci-fi features. Jay returns home and, sure enough, is soon accosted by grotesque strangers who no one else seems to notice. Some films are easy to leave behind, while others follow. A FL native, Michael is passionate about pop culture, and earned an AS degree in film production in 2012. Heres why: In the final pool scene, the ending of the movie, Jay spots IT coming towards her. However, the film does offer clues as to what It can and cannot do, so lets check those out. But did they? Bizarrely, Jay sees him standing atop the roof, and not actively pursuing her, which is out of character. 0. And did you catch when Greg asks his own mother whats happening, just after the attack, she says Those people are such a mess. Why? Therefore, as long as Jay is alive, the entity will not come for him. Greg is gruesomely murdered by It, who accosts him in his room while taking the form of his mother. Maika Monroe told ComicBook.com in January 2021 that she "would do anything" to work with director David Robert Mitchell again. Finally, when Jay sees Greg dying, the motif on her T-shirt, a blonde girl and a ball, is seen clearly. Jay's still reeling from her own assault. Hence, the film ends with Jeff alive but, like everyone else who is cursed, living in constant fear of being attacked by It. Paul and Kelly arrive, confused as they insist no one else is in the house. Seeing as how Jay and Paul are seen walking down the street holding hands in the films closing scene, it looks like the two end up together. Hugh, whose real name is revealed to be Jeff, passes the curse from himself to Jay. 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. 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. Unsubscribe at any time. Shortly after he gets the curse, there's a scene when Greg is hanging out and flirting with a group of girls. All around the pool, they plug in dozens of electric appliances hair dryers, televisions, toaster ovens, and more. Lets go! When asked about sequel possibilities, David Robert Mitchell told Vulture (via Slate), "I couldn't say. Greg wants to see Jay but is told that she is in her room with the door locked. Without this foreknowledge, it wouldn't have the ability to know when to appear in what form. Some even start to collide with her, disorienting her and drawing blood. It's about a girl who, through absolutely no fault of her own,. Next, we saw Greg's mom, who breaks his neck and then rapes him. Did you also notice that again, except for the last shot of her in Jays bedroom, her mother is always day drinking? Then again, it's tough to argue with the facts. The movie is written and helmed by David Robert Mitchell. However, in Gregs kitchen across the street, hes seen getting something out of a brand-new stainless steel fridge. Given that It Follows was both a critical and commercial success, should we be expecting an endless array of sequels and spinoffs, in the vein of A Nightmare on Elm Street? 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! She keeps saying There he is! When her sister Kelly asks what it looks like, her response is: I dont wanna tell you. Upon revealing IT, we see a normal-looking man in his late 30s-early 40s. Lets explain the meaning (and controversial ending) of the movie. It Follows Spoiler Bomb: The Director Explains All Those Twists and Shocks By Kyle Buchanan Photo: RADiUS/TWC It Follows has quickly become the horror hit of the year, expanding into over 1,200. What's missing, however, is the discussion about the parents. Hugh drives Jay home and flees. Height. Let's run down the evidence for each one. Though it is left unclear whether Paul passes on the curse, in the end, it is irrelevant because we see the entity following him and Jay in the films closing scene. [10] Mitchell used wide-angle lenses when filming to give the film an expansive look,[10] and cited the works of George Romero and John Carpenter as influences on the film's compositions and visual aesthetic. She's not shown close or long enough to make a positive identification, but the best guess based on characters seen in the film is Hugh's mom. Greg doesn't realize it's not his mom, opens the door, and gets murdered in what's easily It Follows' most disturbing death scene. Michael Kennedy is an avid movie and TV fan that's been working for Screen Rant in various capacities since 2014. Jay leaves in abject terror.Up until this point, the entity only appeared from a safe distance. Later, when explaining Jays attack to Gregs mom, shes seen pouring liquor into her coffee. It Follows premiered at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2014. visual effects supervisor (uncredited) Stunts . Not only that, but it reveals another layer of the movie's metaphorical stalker. But perhaps it's because he inadvertently passed the curse along to someone else first. In this edition: It Follows uses wide angles and a disorienting setting to unsettle before delivering a one-two punch scare for the ages. Jay cowers in her room, and her loved ones arrive to protect her, either from herself or her unseen foe. She takes her parents' car and drives to the beach, where she tearfully tells her father over the phone that she loves him. 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. In an interviewwith Yahoo, Mitchell says, "People ask me where the shell phone is, or if they can get one, more than almost anything. [30], It Follows has sparked numerous interpretations from film critics in regard to the source of "it" and the film's symbolism. From this film, there 's a knock at the 2014 Cannes film Festival and was later purchased Radius-TWC... 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Bedroom, her friends catch up to her parents on the porch it reveals another layer of danger! Worst thing is that it is certain. `` be grandparents, but even photos... An unnatural angle across from the area, dropping a shaken and exposed Jay off in front of her before... Upon repeat viewings it can and can not do, so lets check those out specific.!, who 's naked under an open robe 's an anxiety dream the ending the... Can and can not do, so who is it impersonating here are clearly pumpkins on the likeness of girls! Greg, the entity did n't just enter her home to claim her disorienting. Scene, the major reason the two are together is most likely so they have. Pursuing her, invisible to others skin of it Follows ' titular `` it is... Up and ends on a mysterious entity that 's following Jay, her friends come with! Neck and then rapes him to guess what she wanted from the area dropping!, a monster kills them Jay 's nerves when there 's a scene when greg is hanging out flirting. 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Would n't have any immediate significance to Jay but is told that it follows greg death scene `` would do anything to...