Paul shoots it again in the head and it sinks to the bottom, allowing Jay to escape. Their quiet conversation gets interrupted by the sound of breaking glass. 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. stunt utility . When teens have sex, a monster kills them. The next time you watch the movie, whenever there's a scene in Jay's house, check out the pictures on her walls. Instead, Mitchell uses it to sneak in another unexpected scare. 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. If you havent seen it yet I recommend getting your hands on a copy, watching it, then coming back to this analysis. (Welcome toScariest Scene Ever, a column dedicated to the most pulse-pounding moments in horror. It Follows is part of a wave of films in the 2010s where horror films arent just good horror films, but good films period. If it's about trauma, the trauma is still with them. Did Hugh give the curse to anyone before Jay? The title refers to the idea that people view Myshkin as "an idiot" because of his kindness, but the book argues that he's far wiser than the people around him. Between the gorgeous cinematography, bewitching soundtrack, and fresh plot devices, this may just be my new favorite horror movie. A slow-burning scene from the atmospheric horror film "It Follows" (2014).http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3235888/Subscribe for more powerful, inventive, and art. 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. This scene marks the first time the eponymous "it" invades Jay's home and personal space. He comes to regret that a few days later when the entity breaks into his house, first taking his own form for itself. Even though years have passed since its initial release, It Follows has stuck with us. Jay, therefore, doesnt describe him to Kelly because she likely doesnt want to disturb her sister even more than she already is. Jay returns home and, sure enough, is soon accosted by grotesque strangers who no one else seems to notice. 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. 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. Worried that she's suffering a mental breakdown, Jay's sister Kelly (Lili Sepe), friends Yara (Olivia Luccardi) and Paul (Keir Gilchrist), and neighbor Greg (Daniel Zovatto) rally around her. When Jay says she cannot see the girl, Hugh becomes unnerved and asks that they leave. A common criticism of It Follows is that the monster isn't particularly threatening, relative to other horror movie baddies. Therefore, we can piece together that the entity has taken on the likeness of the girls father. It's the precise type of scene that would otherwise allow the viewer a moment to soothe their rapid pulse. Each of its appearances happens to fulfill a specific purpose. 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. There are many examples of the different forms it takes on, and you can interpret the purpose of each one however you want. A malicious psychic projection born from the collective unconscious of humanity? 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. The worst thing is that it is certain.". 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. Assume that Hugh is always tracking the monster's location, but it still almost gets him in the movie theater. 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. 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.) But you could read things another way. From Greg's death, we know that the Follower finds you, and then brutally rapes and murders you. 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. 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 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! [3], It Follows received critical acclaim. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. The film opens in a peaceful neighborhood where a girl suddenly runs out of her house in fright. 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. They seem normal enough. [Crewdson's] photographs have the same kind of surreal suburban imagery that we wanted for It Follows."[11]. One day, death will catch you. [4] Hes obviously absent from the house. 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!) 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. Greg wants to see Jay but is told that she is in her room with the door locked. We subsequently see Jay pass the curse on to Paul by having sex with him. A long-term member of the Screen Rant family, Michael looks forward to continuing on creating new content for the site for many more years to come. In fact, modern technology is mostly absent throughout the film except for this thing. We just made it up. Right after the two have sex for the first time, Hugh disappears from her life. In the distance, a figure slowly approaches from behind. And I'm convinced somebody is going to make them and get incredibly rich from doing it. Back home, Paul, willing to take the risk, offers Jay the opportunity to pass it on to him, but she refuses. Its her dad thats why she doesnt want to tell her little sister. 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. The music crescendos with a pulsing beat, signaling that a scare looms near. Jays peach-pink underwear set just scream 1950s. 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. 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. The Entity, or It, is the name given to the otherwise unnamed main antagonist in the 2014 horror film, It Follows. There are a few different theories at play here allow me to explain. If anyone noticed why the camera lingered for so long on Hugh/Jeff's mom when we finally met her, THAT IS WHY. They rob you of your sleep. The idea of a monster that kills teenagers for being promiscuous is certainly not new. visual effects supervisor (uncredited) Stunts . 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. 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. 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. Mr. For what it's worth, the star actress is already on board. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. The next morning, she is found brutally murdered, with her leg twisted and snapped at an unnatural angle. It Follows debuted at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and was later purchased by Radius-TWC for distribution. Hugh, whose real name is revealed to be Jeff, passes the curse from himself to Jay. For most of the film, Jay is directly targeted by It until Greg, skeptical of the danger, has sex with her. He also loves both Marvel and DC movies, and wishes every superhero fan could just get along. Is it a demon? The hell? The set further disorients with decor from various eras- unconventional and made-up technology clashes with retro televisions that play '50s sci-fi features. Of course,it keeps pursuing her relentlessly, making It Followsfeel like The Terminator in that respect. Therefore, their relationship is not romance but more of a survival technique. WHY?). It didn't rape Greg to death. stunt safety Dan Lemieux . 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. Therefore, as long as Jay is alive, the entity will not come for him. Then Kelly manages to throw a sheet over the creature, allowing Paul to shoot the monster in the head. In his defense, there's clearly much more on this film's mind, thematically speaking, than just sex. One of my pet peeves about horror movie viewers is when they expect all the information to be spelled out explicitly. Greg remains skeptical of the whole situation and eventually has sex with Jay. Later, the two make love in the car, after which Hugh suddenly attacks Jay. It's the precise type of scene that would otherwise allow the viewer a moment to soothe their rapid pulse. 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. Perhaps their dad was an abusive jerk, and that's why it's so painful to see him again. 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. uses wide angles and a disorienting setting to unsettle before delivering a one-two punch scare for the ages. Before going on her date with Hugh/Jeff, Jay is seen swimming in her backyard pool. Where did the entity come from, and is it gone forever? Highly disturbed, Jay's friends agree to spend the night to keep her company. Next:Every Form IT Takes in the 1990 Miniseries. 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. When "It" finally arrives, things don't go exactly as our heroes planned. Look at the Polaroids around her mirror. )Writer/Director David Robert Mitchell knows how to build a chilling atmosphere. It was the so-upset-I-feel-sick kind of . 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. . A "thing" is now following her. At dawn, it is revealed that she has been brutally murdered. As Neil Gaiman once said, "If someone tells you what a story is about, they are probably right. Fear? They plan on luring the entity into the pool and then electrocuting it. But after a seemingly-innocent sexual encounter, she is plagued by strange visions and the inescapable sense that someone, or something, is following her. It Follows (2014) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Lead characters wear bathing suits in one scene and chilly fall coats in the next. His identity is also confirmed by a family photo. So what's up? Some even start to collide with her, disorienting her and drawing blood. Maika Monroe told ComicBook.com in January 2021 that she "would do anything" to work with director David Robert Mitchell again. Lastly, we have Jay's final Follower, who appears as her father. 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. Related: Every Form Pinhead Has Taken In The Hellraiser Franchise. Without this foreknowledge, it wouldn't have the ability to know when to appear in what form. It kicks in again as an almost unnaturally tall figure emerges from the dark behind Yara. Greg Hannigan is a Recurring Character in The Film It Follows, He is a 19 Year Old College Student. Therefore, It is invisible but has a physical form. Height. Lead characters wear bathing suits in one scene and chilly fall coats in the next. That IT has a physical body. This synopsis of It Follows covers all the scary moments fans didnt catch. 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.". She refuses help offered to her by a neighbor and quickly gets into her car and drives away. The Brady Bunch (1969) - S02E07 Family 3.1s Greg. 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. 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