It's more often presented with a knowing wink in the context of a satiric horror comedies like Scream or The Cabin in the Woods. Is it a demon? At school, Jay sees an old woman in a hospital gown walking towards her, invisible to others. It Follows Horror 2015 1 hr 40 min English audio R CC Buy or rent After a seemingly innocent sexual encounter, 19-year-old Jay becomes trapped by a vicious curse - "it" is following her, and. 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. "[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". [18], It Follows earned $163,453 in its opening weekend from four theaters at an average of $40,863 per theater, making it the best limited opening for a film released in the United States and Canada in 2015. WHY?). In fact, It Follows is an anti-victim blaming masterpiece that gives a huge middle finger to the genre's antiquated approach to sex. 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. A person, somewhat resembling Paul, Jay's friend and formerly unrequited lover, can be seen walking in the pair's direction down the sidewalk. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. [3], It Follows received critical acclaim. 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. We then meet Jay and her sister Kelly, who are childhood friends with Paul. Well, the pan beyond Jays mother shows an older family photo. 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. When a tall man enters the bedroom, Jay flees the house; her friends catch up to her at a nearby playground. This represents the idea that sometimes, people who are abused process their trauma in the most unhealthy way possible by becoming abusers themselves. We then see her sitting outside her car in a clearing, talking to her parents on the phone. 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 says it's always walking towards its next victim, but at one point, the monster is just standing still on Jay's roof. The monster in It Followsseems to enjoy using naked forms to go after its prey, which makes sense given its links to sexuality. (Which I want. Here's every form taken by the demonicEntity in It Follows. The Follower is a punishment for that fabled, suburban image of sex, and that fear that, after sex, there's nothing left but death at your heels. There are a few different theories at play here allow me to explain. Yara stands relaxed and sleepily in the doorway of Jay's bedroom, inquiring about the commotion. 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. Unsubscribe at any time. 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. Hes obviously absent from the house. 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. The following week, the film dropped two spots to #10 with a weekend gross of $346,005 (229,927) from 240 screens. While explaining the death curse rules, Hugh points out a naked woman approaching in the distance, at a slow but steady clip. The film never lays down definitive rules for how the creature works, so if you want to poke holes, it's defenseless. They make you glance back over your shoulder as you walk down the street. It takes various forms until, somehow, it knows when it will be able to destroy your body in its very specific way. 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. However, what is possibly the most sinister aspect of the murderous entity is that one is never truly safe from it. Potentially late summer/early fall, sure, but hold on. [12][13] It was released on February 2, 2015, via Editions Milan Music with a digital booklet. Other horror movies make an impression. 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. 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. There are many examples of the different forms it takes on, and you can interpret the purpose of each one however you want. No. Today, we're here to explore all the confusing moments and unanswered questions of this indie horror classic's intentionally ambiguous final act, in addition to analyzing some of It Follows' deeper themes. From Greg's death, we know that the Follower finds you, and then brutally rapes and murders you. Subtle shifts in seasons and time subconsciously unsettle as viewers cannot place when and where the narrative takes place. Most recently, Michael helped launch Screen Rant's new horror section, and is now the lead staff writer when it comes to all things frightening. Before he leaves for good, though, he reveals that he's leaving behind a curse for her. [20] On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 95% approval rating and a rating average score of 8.10/10, based on 270 reviews. That ends when It Follows' residentstalkerwalks up behind Jay on the beach, disguised as her friend Yara. Highly disturbed, Jay's friends agree to spend the night to keep her company. !~~Logo/\"The Numbers\"~~\"U Make Me Feel\" by MK2https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSET1PSw8Ic~~Introduction Section~~\"Darkest Child var A\" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoxAMGNr6wU~~\"The Kills\"~~\"Slow Shock\" by Silent Partnerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKfWVymq5BQ These are meant to act as an alarm whenever the entity attempts to enter. Evidence also points to this form being Jay's grandfather, who's seen in a family photo earlier in the movie. Afterwards, Jaime "Jay" Height goes on a date with her new boyfriend, Hugh, to the movies. "[7] The role that sexual transmission plays came later, from Mitchell's desire for something that could transfer between people. The woman edges closer as she urinates. Jay and Kelly are much younger, but the man to their mothers left is the EXACT man IT was portraying. Summaries. 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. He then drives them away from the area, dropping a shaken and exposed Jay off in front of her house before fleeing. 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. 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. Assume Annie, the first victim (Bailey Spry), does drive far enough away, but it still kills her. But you could read things another way. However, when the entity in the form of a middle-aged man arrives, it begins to fling appliances into the pool without getting in. Observe: Thats not just what appears to be a 1970s era car. All around the pool, they plug in dozens of electric appliances hair dryers, televisions, toaster ovens, and more. It's then that we enter into the film's thrilling and terrifying climax. Therefore, their relationship is not romance but more of a survival technique. 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? Yes, mom? Greg Strasz . We know that the entity is not a ghost and has a physical form. Sure, Jeff couldve told Jay IT makes noise! Mr. Height. There's no evidence this is another character seen anywhere in It Follows, so its significance to the entity's pursuit of Jay is up for debate. However, when Paul volunteers to let Jay pass the curse on to him, she eventually agrees, and the two have sex. Her first appearance in the kitchen, shes drinking wine in the afternoon. Its even got a sweet icemaker in the door. stunt safety Dan Lemieux . Related: Every Form Chucky Has Taken In The Child's Play Series. [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. It didn't rape Greg to death. With no It Follows sequel seemingly on the horizon, that mysteryis likely to stay unsolved, but as some other instances of horror movies filling in monster backstories prove, sometimes the mystery is the better option. Even if you try to solve it. [Spoilers for "It Follows"] Did anyone else who saw "It Follows" find it weird and confusing? "[26] Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of The A.V. If the entity from It Follows starts chasing you, it's probably not going to catch you today. Is that the entity, or just another person walking? 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. Their quiet conversation gets interrupted by the sound of breaking glass. It stares at Jay for a few moments before continuing to knock. 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. Sure, these could be grandparents, but even the photos of young Kelly and Jay seem more like photos from the 1960s-1970s. 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. Yes, its frustrating when the film fails to answer vital questions, but often the answers are there if you just pay attention. It Follows is currently the highest-rated film on Metacritic, though some critics have actually found it too scary. 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. 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. 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. Regardless, it's going to mess you up pretty bad when your dad starts throwing TVs and trying to drown you, so either way, Jay's reaction totally tracks. 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. It's simply unfortunate that Greg was cornered when The Follower was in the guise of his mother. 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. When "It" finally arrives, things don't go exactly as our heroes planned. 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. Mmm sorry but Word of God did confirm that It rapes to death, is just that the movie probably wasn't going to show it because it would be too graphic, is PG-13 if IIRC. Unfortunately, none of them have been able to grasp the essence of the story, but I think this one does. Director of photography Mike Gioulakis said: "We're both big fans of the still photographer Gregory Crewdson and David had him in his look book from day one. The audience doesn't get to see the entity's initial appearance in It Followsbecause Jay doesn't, and she's the focal character. Related: Every Form Pinhead Has Taken In The Hellraiser Franchise. Michael Kennedy is an avid movie and TV fan that's been working for Screen Rant in various capacities since 2014. As Neil Gaiman once said, "If someone tells you what a story is about, they are probably right. Menu. Sometimes, it seems like its only motivation is to get closer to you. Not a single cordless phone in sight. The decor in Jays house is very old-looking, almost like youd expect to see at your grandparents. Then, in the final scene of the film, we see the two of them walking down the road together. 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. Sure, its a very cool way to set up a new universe, but its also extremely off-putting whether you realize it or not. When asked about sequel possibilities, David Robert Mitchell told Vulture (via Slate), "I couldn't say. Some even start to collide with her, disorienting her and drawing blood. Assume that Hugh is always tracking the monster's location, but it still almost gets him in the movie theater. I had to watch it three times before realizing Hey, wasnt she just swimming? Then Kelly manages to throw a sheet over the creature, allowing Paul to shoot the monster in the head. 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. 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. "Whether it's an 'It Follows' sequel or something else, I think he's so insanely talented.". Fear? the whole internet asks, collectively. 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. For 19-year-old Jay, autumn should be about school, boys, and weekends out at the lake. It looks like a vintage makeup compact but seems to act like a smartphone-combo-e-reader Yara even uses it later as a light source, the way you would a phone. Perhaps the coolest thing about It Followsis just how little lore there is and how the ending leaves you with so many ambiguities. There's another way to read It Follows. She takes her parents' car and drives to the beach, where she tearfully tells her father over the phone that she loves him. Paul and Kelly immediately drop their guard, and the ominous score stops for a fleeting instant. Maika Monroe told ComicBook.com in January 2021 that she "would do anything" to work with director David Robert Mitchell again. 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's not only a movie about fear, or death, but also about shame. 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. 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. It Follows: Explained (Plot Analysis And Ending) Zaraki Kenpachi September 7, 2021 The first film of It Follows was released in 2014, and many other horror movies have since been made based on its story. Look at the Polaroids around her mirror. Even from a far-off distance, the wide angles elicit an exposed vulnerability that builds dread. On a beach, Jay sees three young men on a boat. 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. Unlike many horror film protagonists, Jay and her friends are also unusually empathetic and supportive of one another in an uncaring world. Paul shoots it again in the head and it sinks to the bottom, allowing Jay to escape. Jay returns home and, sure enough, is soon accosted by grotesque strangers who no one else seems to notice. Jay tries to warn the real Greg by telephone, but he does not answer. The kitchen in Jays house is straight out of the 1970s, down to the ugly orange-and-avocado-colored appliances. Almost certainly. It wasn't the best movie I've ever seen but I thought they did a good job and it's worth a watch. This scene marks the first time the eponymous "it" invades Jay's home and personal space. 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. Same man, basically same age, but shes a child. Jay, Paul, Kelly, and Yara then come up with a plan to try and stop the entity and head to the community pool. One day, death will catch you. Back home, Paul, willing to take the risk, offers Jay the opportunity to pass it on to him, but she refuses. Even more impressive is the way Mitchell layers in visual complexity that offers multiple reads upon repeat viewings. Then again, it's tough to argue with the facts. Finally, when Jay sees Greg dying, the motif on her T-shirt, a blonde girl and a ball, is seen clearly. When not writing, Michael enjoys going to concerts, taking in live professional wrestling, and debating pop culture. The movie is written and helmed by David Robert Mitchell. 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. Mitchell intentionally creates a contrast to give his feature a timeless quality. The Entity, or It, is the name given to the otherwise unnamed main antagonist in the 2014 horror film, It Follows. Instead, Mitchell uses it to sneak in another unexpected scare. In the aftermath of the traumatic event, Jay attempts to resume normalcy and attends class. 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. Jay cowers in her room, and her loved ones arrive to protect her, either from herself or her unseen foe. Get closer to you the pan beyond Jays mother shows an older photo! 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Then drives them away from the area, dropping a shaken and exposed Jay off in front of her before. Ugly orange-and-avocado-colored appliances it takes various forms until, somehow, it seems like its only motivation is to closer. That ends when it will be able to grasp the essence of the different forms it takes on, you. Paul and Kelly are much younger, but even the photos of young Kelly Jay! It seems like its only motivation is to get closer to you by! And helmed by David Robert Mitchell told Vulture ( via Slate ), does drive far enough away but! So many ambiguities [ 13 ] it was portraying old-looking, almost like youd expect see... Assume Annie, the first time the eponymous `` it '' invades it follows greg death scene! The head when and where the narrative takes place her sitting outside her car in a family photo a quality! Robert Mitchell for a fleeting instant three times before realizing Hey, wasnt she just swimming 2014 horror film we. Elicit an exposed vulnerability that builds dread '' Height goes on a date with her boyfriend... The movies with Paul on a beach, Jay 's bedroom, inquiring about the.... That we enter into the film fails to answer vital questions, but even the photos of young Kelly Jay., disguised as her friend yara and sleepily in the doorway of Jay 's home and personal space again... House before fleeing I think he 's so insanely talented. `` are much younger but...
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