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. Each of its appearances happens to fulfill a specific purpose. It Follows is a 2014 American supernatural psychological horror film written and directed by David Robert Mitchell. In his defense, there's clearly much more on this film's mind, thematically speaking, than just sex. All of this, combined with carefully choreographed terror that can come from anywhere in the wide-open spaces, induces agoraphobic dread.It works to set the mood for the film's biggest scare, a terrifying scene that delivers not one but two potent scares without a second to spare for the audience to catch their breath. Horror movie fans lovers, straight-up warning you there are a lot of spoilers for It Follows (2015) in this review. A collection of It Follows nude scenes, categorized by nudity type, the film or tv show it appears in and the different types of nudity. All the TVs are either clunky CRT units from the 1980s-1990s or even older models with rabbit-ears and dials. 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. If you havent seen it yet I recommend getting your hands on a copy, watching it, then coming back to this analysis. It Follows premiered at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2014. "[26] Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of The A.V. But what follows? On another date, Hugh and Jay have sex in his car, but afterwards, he incapacitates Jay with chloroform and she wakes up tied to a wheelchair. 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. The monster is still with them, in one form or another, because even if the literal monster is no more, death is still coming for them, and until that happens, this experience will always follow them. This hints that Jay and Kellys father, who remains unseen throughout the film, likely died (or disappeared) many years ago, which is why the entity takes on the appearance of what he looked like when the girls were still children. The decor in Jays house is very old-looking, almost like youd expect to see at your grandparents. In fact, It Follows is an anti-victim blaming masterpiece that gives a huge middle finger to the genre's antiquated approach to sex. 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. Not a single cordless phone in sight. His identity is also confirmed by a family photo. When Jay gets cursed after a sexual encounter, she finds herself being stalked and tries to grapple with the sinister entity that keeps changing its appearance and showing up unexpectedly. 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). stunt utility . It Follows (2014) 1.9s Oh, and Greg's mom, Parks and Recreation (2009) - S02E07 Greg Pikitis 1s I'm Greg's mom. At the end of the film, as Yara is recovering in the hospital from her gunshot wound, she reads aloud to her friends a quote from a book, but she doesn't identify it at the time. 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. Jay tells the truth to her friends, and they believe her, helping her fight a monster that they themselves literally can't see. Based on her delivery, Jay seems deeply shaken by whatever she's looking at. 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. Therefore, Paul is most likely the person that the entity is following at the end, and if he dies, then Jay is next on the list of victims. Jay responds, "I don't want to tell you." Hence, the film ends with Jeff alive but, like everyone else who is cursed, living in constant fear of being attacked by It. It Follows is about abuse. What's missing, however, is the discussion about the parents. Other horror movies make an impression. This form isn't identifiable, although considering her appearance, the entity could be using this form to represent sexual trauma. )Writer/Director David Robert Mitchell knows how to build a chilling atmosphere. This is first hinted at when the group discovers empty soda cans hanging on the windows of Hughs abandoned house. And how is the monster defeated, at least temporarily? 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. The entity arrives in the form of Yara and attacks Jay on the lakefront. If the entity from It Follows starts chasing you, it's probably not going to catch you today. Instead, Mitchell uses it to sneak in another unexpected scare. Instead, Mitchell uses it to sneak in another unexpected scare. Summaries. 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. Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted. visual effects supervisor (uncredited) Stunts . Death, Jay learns, will creep inexorably toward her as either a friend or a stranger. She turns and is faced with a disheveled woman her age, her clothes torn and missing teeth. Sure, we've just spent a long time explaining as much about this film as we could, but there are some questions that are better left unanswered. No way, I dont think so. Lead characters wear bathing suits in one scene and chilly fall coats in the next. Even though years have passed since its initial release, It Follows has stuck with us. [7] Critics have interpreted the film as a parable about HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted infections[31] and the social perceptions thereof; the sexual revolution;[32] "primal anxieties" about intimacy;[33] and post-Great Recession economic anxiety. [7] The film's monster, shot composition and overall aesthetic were influenced by the work of contemporary photographer Gregory Crewdson. Therefore, It is invisible but has a physical form. It Follows is part of a wave of films in the 2010s where horror films arent just good horror films, but good films period. 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. Jeffs mom is TOTALLY rocking the 1980s Mom look, and not ironically. 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!) hanging around the windows and doors. Up until this point, the entity only appeared from a safe distance. - Cousin Greg! 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. 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. This represents the idea that sometimes, people who are abused process their trauma in the most unhealthy way possible by becoming abusers themselves. [Crewdson's] photographs have the same kind of surreal suburban imagery that we wanted for It Follows."[11]. Jay strips down and starts swimming towards the boat. 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. Paul and Kelly immediately drop their guard, and the ominous score stops for a fleeting instant. 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. I don't know if this explanation makes The Follower MORE or LESS horrifying for you. Jay's friends ward it off by breaking a chair over its body and Jay shoots it several times until it falls over, but it recovers unharmed and attacks Jay again, this time taking the form of a boy who lives next door to Jay. The camera slows down, and all music fades, save for the drumming beat, as Jay walks into the kitchen. Its meant to show how unprepared she was when confronted with IT. That wouldn't have any immediate significance to Jay but could be one last taunt directed at its previous target. Okay, fine, maybe late summer/early fall. The Naked Climber This next form taken by the entity in It Follows is another that's extremely naked. Days later, Jay sees the entity in the form of Greg walking towards Greg's house, smashing a window at Greg's house and entering. Beyond that, what exactly It Follows' titular "it" is or where it came from remains a mystery. Try giving the film the benefit of the doubt. As Neil Gaiman once said, "If someone tells you what a story is about, they are probably right. 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. Youre trying to figure out what the time period is and there simply isnt one. Greg doesn't realize it's not his mom, opens the door, andgets murdered in what's easily It Follows' most disturbing death scene. Assume our heroes are smart. Fear? 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. They try to calm Jay's nerves when there's a knock at the door. Director David Robert Mitchell Writer David Robert Mitchell Stars Maika Monroe Keir Gilchrist Olivia Luccardi Speaking of decor, the photos on the wall are mostly black and white portraits. Your pulse never changes during the initial viewing, and a week later, you barely remember the experience. When "It" finally arrives, things don't go exactly as our heroes planned. He comes to regret that a few days later when the entity breaks into his house, first taking his own form for itself. Or perhaps he was a total saint who died tragically, so seeing his image being stolen by this horrible monster feels like a violation of their memories. [4] Next, we saw Greg's mom, who breaks his neck and then rapes him. However, three days later, he ends up dead. All the TVs are black and white, Hugh drives a 1975 Plymouth Gran Fury that seems brand new, and none of the kids seem to have cell phones. She approaches the pool and sees no body, but a mist of blood. It was released theatrically in France on February 4, 2015 and in the United Kingdom on February 27. Once in the poolhouse, Jay enters the pool while the rest place a variety of electrical appliances around its edge. Height, Jaime and Kelly's mother, Ruby Harris as Mrs. Redmond, Jeff's mother, This page was last edited on 30 January 2023, at 00:15. 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.) The next time you watch the movie, whenever there's a scene in Jay's house, check out the pictures on her walls. The music crescendos with a pulsing beat, signaling that a scare looms near. Yeah, ok. And death, perhaps. To prove his point, he shows her a naked woman that has mysteriously appeared in the distance and keeps walking towards them relentlessly. See? Right after the two have sex for the first time, Hugh disappears from her life. The hell? When she first exits the house it appears to be, based off her dress and the lush green grass/trees behind her, summer. It Follows is currently the highest-rated film on Metacritic, though some critics have actually found it too scary. The camera slows down, and all music fades, save for the drumming beat, as Jay walks into the kitchen. If Greg did, it was probably on accident. 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. What's more shameful than having sex with your mom or dad? Jay's sister, Kelly and her friends, Paul Bolduan and Yara Davis, agree to help and spend the night in Jay and Kelly's house. 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. It's about a girl who, through absolutely no fault of her own,. 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 a way, it's a fair question. He then drives them away from the area, dropping a shaken and exposed Jay off in front of her house before fleeing. The entity is a slow moving, unstoppable monster that is always walking towards you, and if it catches you, you die. We then see her sitting outside her car in a clearing, talking to her parents on the phone. However, Greg underestimates It Follows ' scary curse, and following his death scene, the curse goes right back to Jay. 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. Jay and her remaining comrades attempt to make a stand against the entity at a local indoor pool, and of course, the creature twists the knife by making its final form during this confrontation as Jay's deceased father. Did Hugh give the curse to anyone before Jay? The music crescendos with a pulsing beat, signaling that a scare looms near. Then Kelly manages to throw a sheet over the creature, allowing Paul to shoot the monster in the head. 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. Then, in the final scene of the film, we see the two of them walking down the road together. stunt safety Dan Lemieux . Jay, Kelly (Lilie Sepe), Paul (Keir Gilchrist), and Yara (Olivia Luccardi) break into an indoor public pool after hours. 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. It's the precise type of scene that would otherwise allow the viewer a moment to soothe their rapid pulse. 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. Of course, that's much debate about whether the entity is even a demon. However, it could actually be a subtle allusion to Jay's unresolved issues with her unnamed, deceased father Mr. She was well-dressed, perhaps ready to go out, when IT finally got close enough for her to realize it was a threat and she just bolted, ill-equipped footwear be damned. At school, Jay sees an old woman in a hospital gown walking towards her, invisible to others. The entity busts open a hole in the door, then comes after them as a creepy young boy. Family Guy (1999) - S20E03 Must Love Dogs 2.5s - Oh, and cousin Greg! IT is not a ghost; IT can make noise and cant walk through walls. Hugh explains that he has passed an entity on to her through intercourse. It stares at Jay for a few moments before continuing to knock. In fact, we barely see it at all, until the end when its blurry and not the focal point of the shot. Jay tries to warn the real Greg by telephone, but he does not answer. Greg Hannigan. The entity didn't just enter her home to claim her, but it exploited her trauma, too. stunt coordinator Craig Gubert . 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. Greg is gruesomely murdered by It, who accosts him in his room while taking the form of his mother. In a couple of the photographs, you'll see that same bearded man. While explaining the death curse rules, Hugh points out a naked woman approaching in the distance, at a slow but steady clip. Some horror movies are easy to forget. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. So the answer that makes the most sense, thematically, is "yes." Hugh/Jeff's mom was the naked woman in the abandoned building. uses wide angles and a disorienting setting to unsettle before delivering a one-two punch scare for the ages. She then undresses and walks into the water, though it is unclear if she does anything with them. The film then closes with the two walking hand in hand down the street, with the faint outline of an unknown person walking relentlessly behind them at a modest pace. The woman edges closer as she urinates. 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. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Her inciting consensual experience was savagely undone by Hugh's chloroforming and binding of her before she could even dress. [4] Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, and Lili Sepe appear in supporting roles.[5]. 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. Spoiler alert! So what's this old cliche doing here? It's not only a movie about fear, or death, but also about shame. Unsubscribe at any time. [30], It Follows has sparked numerous interpretations from film critics in regard to the source of "it" and the film's symbolism. Menu. Are you ready to get under the skin of It Follows and see what its trying to tell us? Paul reports a smashed window in the kitchen, then heads upstairs to wake Jay's sister. All of this, combined with carefully choreographed terror that can come from anywhere in the wide-open spaces, induces agoraphobic dread. However, in Gregs kitchen across the street, hes seen getting something out of a brand-new stainless steel fridge. Here's a guide toIt Follows entity's every form it takes in the movie. 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. Subtle shifts in seasons and time subconsciously unsettle as viewers cannot place when and where the narrative takes place. Based on how confidently he knocked out Jay with chloroform, it didn't seem like his first time. Greg Strasz . Assume that Hugh is always tracking the monster's location, but it still almost gets him in the movie theater. Paul shoots it again in the head and it sinks to the bottom, allowing Jay to escape. It takes various forms until, somehow, it knows when it will be able to destroy your body in its very specific way. 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 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. One potential way to read the events of the film is thatIt Followsis about the inevitability of death. It's easy to remember [EXTREME SPOILER ALERT] that Greg is basically fucked to death by his mom, but again, the mom detail can easily be ignored if we remember one simple rule: The Follower takes whatever form is most useful to it. She's the naked lady. But I do want to say that when I wrote this, I had some bigger set pieces, a few things that I sort of simplified, and some stuff that we chose to cut out because of the budget and time, so there's all kinds of fun things that could be done with this concept and story. That night, Paul drives through town, passing prostitutes. There is a ton of crappy horror movies out there and this isn't one of them. 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. Ele Bardha . [9] Mitchell realized that the concept he was working on was tough to describe and thus refused to discuss the plot when asked what he was working on, reasoning later, "When you say it out loud, it sounds like the worst thing ever. The following week, the film dropped two spots to #10 with a weekend gross of $346,005 (229,927) from 240 screens. For most of the film, Jay is directly targeted by It until Greg, skeptical of the danger, has sex with her. Lets explain the meaning (and controversial ending) of the movie. However, the film does offer clues as to what It can and cannot do, so lets check those out. 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. She runs into the house and finds the entity in the form of Greg's half-naked mother knocking on his door. Inside the house, Jay sees a disheveled, urinating, half-naked woman walking toward her and runs upstairs to the others, who cannot see the entity. "[28] Michael Nordine of Vice named It Follows as "the best horror film in years",[29] and critic Mark Frauenfelder called it "the best horror film in over a decade". Shortly after Greg is killed, Jay spots three young men hanging out on the deck of a boat. Jay returns home and, sure enough, is soon accosted by grotesque strangers who no one else seems to notice. It's then that we enter into the film's thrilling and terrifying climax. The abruptness of its appearance delivers another potent scare, clocking in just two minutes after the previous encounter.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. Following The Babadook (2014), The Conjuring (2013), and Insidious (2010), It Follows is the next big thing when it comes to horror. The Brady Bunch (1969) - S04E02 Family 2.1s Oh, oh, Greg, Greg, sweetheart. Hugh says it's always walking towards its next victim, but at one point, the monster is just standing still on Jay's roof. Hes obviously absent from the house. Mitchell intentionally creates a contrast to give his feature a timeless quality. There are many examples of the different forms it takes on, and you can interpret the purpose of each one however you want. What answer makes the most sense, given what the film is actually about and what the monster represents? Victims Annie Marshall - Bled to death after the Entity tore her legs in half. [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. Apart from the literal monster that starts chasing her, what makes Jay's date with Hugh so horrifying isn't the sex, it's the abuse. There are other clues given to us purely through storytelling and small details rather than having the characters get right up in your face and shout what youre supposed to know. A FL native, Michael is passionate about pop culture, and earned an AS degree in film production in 2012. So, this implies a few things about The Follower: It's motivation isn't always to immediately kill you. However, when Paul volunteers to let Jay pass the curse on to him, she eventually agrees, and the two have sex. That tendency may not be entirely born of sadism, as in a few cases it also seems to be trying to confuse its victim long enough to get caught. (Welcome toScariest Scene Ever, a column dedicated to the most pulse-pounding moments in horror. After "Yara" arrives and proceeds to attack Jay, she and her gang run for refuge inside a hut. Jay, unable to sleep, heads downstairs to watch TV with Paul. Jay gets ready for her date with Hugh, and the two go to the cinema. It's easy to overlook who this is during a normal It Follows viewing, but it's Jay's neighbor, the one who was leering at her while she relaxed in the pool. 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. It is a supernatural being that incessantly pursues its victims at a walking pace. In that time, Michael has written over 2000 articles for the site, first working solely as a news writer, then later as a senior writer and associate news editor. So what's this quote from? Why does this prove he killed himself? I don't, however, believe that The Follower's form when it killed Greg was simply out of convenience. 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. Shortly after he gets the curse, there's a scene when Greg is hanging out and flirting with a group of girls. But then, at the theater for their date, Hugh/Jeff, Jay, and EVERY SINGLE OTHER PERSON IN LINE is wearing heavy winter coats. 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. Yes, its frustrating when the film fails to answer vital questions, but often the answers are there if you just pay attention. Therefore, as long as Jay is alive, the entity will not come for him. A ghost? It Follows (2014) - The arrival of a tall man Watch on Alone, Jay cautiously makes her way to the kitchen to see the damage for herself. With that in mind, let's talk about some other themes that It Follows has on its mind, beyond just sex. Lastly, we have Jay's final Follower, who appears as her father. 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. Jay's still reeling from her own assault. Lead characters wear bathing suits in one scene and chilly fall coats in the next. Screaming, Jay fumbles her way upstairs and locks herself in her room. Contents 1 Description 2 Biography 3 Personality 4 Gallery 5 Navigation Description If it's about death, then death will still get our heroes eventually. Assume that Greg's cabin is a hundred miles away from Detroit, but it still finds them the very next day. They seem normal enough. This next form taken by the entity in It Follows is another that's extremely naked. Theyre meant to alert him in case anything enters. Because subconsciously, your brain is picking up on these things but you dont know it. Again, the tall man doesn't look like any other character seen in the movie, so outside of being scary, the significance of this form to Jay is unclear. Jeff's mother answers the door and Jay realizes that the naked woman she had seen coming for her in the Packard Plant was in the form of Mrs. Redmond. Jay cowers in her room, and her loved ones arrive to protect her, either from herself or her unseen foe. One of my pet peeves about horror movie viewers is when they expect all the information to be spelled out explicitly. Her inciting consensual experience was savagely undone by Hugh's chloroforming and binding of her before she could even dress. ", 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. Initially skeptical of the curse, the boy seemingly never sees the entity following him until it is too late and it is atop him. Like a person hiding an STD from their romantic partner, Hugh lies to Jay about the potential repercussions of sleeping with him, and afterwards, he abandons her. [3], It Follows received critical acclaim.