It Follows (2014)

Last updated:
October 25, 2025

It Follows (2014) is an American supernatural horror film written and directed by David Robert Mitchell. Blending psychological dread with a modern urban legend twist, it became a cult favorite for its originality and unnerving atmosphere.

Table of Contents

Detailed Summary

Introduction: A Modern Suburban Nightmare

The film begins in the quiet suburbs of Detroit, instantly grounding the horror in a familiar American landscape. A young woman, panicked and terrified, flees her home, only to be found dead the next morning — her body twisted and broken. This sets the eerie tone of a mysterious, inescapable force that stalks its victims.

Jay and the Beginning of the Curse

Our protagonist, Jay Height (Maika Monroe), is a college student living an ordinary life. After a seemingly normal date with her boyfriend, Hugh (Jake Weary), she sleeps with him in the backseat of his car. But the romance takes a sharp turn when Hugh chloroforms her and ties her to a chair in an abandoned parking structure.

He reveals that he’s passed on a curse to her — a supernatural entity that follows its victims relentlessly, taking the form of anyone, even loved ones. It walks toward the target at a steady pace and kills them if it catches them. The only way to escape is to pass the curse on to someone else through sexual contact. If the entity kills the new person, it returns to the previous one. Hugh drives away, leaving Jay terrified and disoriented.

The Stalker Appears

Soon, Jay begins seeing strange figures slowly walking toward her — sometimes naked, sometimes clothed, but always advancing. No one else can see them. Her friends, including Paul, Yara, and her sister Kelly, are skeptical at first but eventually witness enough to realize something supernatural is happening.

The Escape and the Attempted Solution

Jay and her friends decide to flee to a lakeside cabin to buy time. There, the entity attacks, taking the form of various people — including a tall man and a young boy. The group manages to escape, but Jay is now in a constant state of paranoia.

In desperation, she has sex with her friend Greg (Daniel Zovatto), hoping to pass on the curse. However, Greg’s skepticism leads to his doom when the entity appears as his mother and kills him. This confirms that the curse has returned to Jay.

The Pool Trap Plan

Jay and her friends devise a final plan: lure the entity into a public swimming pool and electrocute it. The sequence is tense and surreal. The entity is invisible to everyone except Jay, forcing her to describe its movements while her friends attack blindly. The plan nearly fails, but Paul (Keir Gilchrist) manages to shoot the entity in the head, filling the pool with blood.

Jay and Paul sleep together afterward, possibly transferring the curse once again, though its direction is uncertain.

Movie Ending

In the closing scenes, Jay and Paul are seen walking hand-in-hand down a suburban street. In the distance, a figure appears walking slowly behind them. The camera doesn’t confirm whether it’s “It” or just another passerby.

The ambiguity is deliberate — did they escape the curse, or is it still following them? The pool scene seems to suggest the entity can be injured but not destroyed. Director David Robert Mitchell leaves the question unanswered, forcing the audience to confront the movie’s central theme: the inevitability of death. Whether literal or metaphorical, something is always “following.”

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No, It Follows does not have any post-credits scenes. The film ends with an unsettling fade-out, leaving the audience with uncertainty and dread.

Type of Movie

It Follows is a psychological horror and supernatural thriller with strong influences from 1980s horror cinema. It’s known for its slow-burn tension, minimalist storytelling, and haunting atmosphere rather than jump scares.

Cast

Maika Monroe as Jay Height
Keir Gilchrist as Paul
Daniel Zovatto as Greg
Jake Weary as Hugh / Jeff
Olivia Luccardi as Yara
Lili Sepe as Kelly
Bailey Spry as Annie

Film Music and Composer

The iconic synth-heavy score was composed by Disasterpeace (Rich Vreeland), better known for his video game music (Fez). His work here is chillingly nostalgic, echoing John Carpenter’s style with an electronic pulse that amplifies every ounce of dread. The soundtrack is one of the film’s most acclaimed elements.

Filming Locations

The film was shot in Detroit, Michigan, and its decaying suburbs. The locations contribute heavily to the film’s haunting atmosphere — the empty houses, cracked streets, and sense of urban decay mirror the characters’ feelings of isolation and helplessness. The setting also blurs the line between past and present, fitting the movie’s timeless, dreamlike tone.

Awards and Nominations

Fright Meter Award (2015) – Best Horror Movie (Winner)
Empire Award – Best Horror (Nominated)
Saturn Award – Best Horror Film (Nominated)
Critics’ Choice Award – Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie (Nominated)

Behind the Scenes Insights

Director David Robert Mitchell wanted the film to feel like a nightmare, where logic and time don’t quite make sense.
The movie’s ambiguous time period was intentional — mixing technology from the 1980s and present day to create unease.
Maika Monroe was cast after her breakout role in The Guest (2014).
The film’s minimal dialogue and long takes were designed to keep viewers constantly scanning the background for “It.”
The “walking entity” effect was achieved with real actors walking at an unnatural, slow pace, enhancing realism and dread.

Inspirations and References

Inspired by recurring nightmares director Mitchell had as a child, where he was followed by a slow, relentless pursuer.
Stylistically inspired by John Carpenter’s Halloween, David Lynch’s surrealism, and George Romero’s urban horror.
The themes echo classic horror metaphors like sexual transmission and mortality, paralleling fears of intimacy, disease, and guilt.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

No official alternate ending exists, though the original script included a slightly longer final shot showing the follower more clearly. Mitchell chose to remove it to preserve the film’s ambiguity. Some deleted dialogue scenes involving Jay and Paul were also cut for pacing.

Book Adaptations and Differences

The film is not based on a book, but it has inspired several essays and academic interpretations that compare it to classic horror literature, particularly for its metaphorical use of sexuality and morality.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

The car scene where Hugh reveals the curse to Jay — chilling and unforgettable.
The entity appearing in the kitchen as a tall man with blank eyes.
The pool sequence finale — an inventive, dreamlike showdown.
The final walk down the street — haunting and ambiguous.

Iconic Quotes

Hugh: “It could look like someone you know or it could be a stranger in a crowd. Whatever helps it get close to you.”
Jay: “It’s slow, but it’s not stupid.”
Yara: “When you’re a kid, the worst thing you can imagine is ending up alone.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

The shell-shaped e-reader Yara uses doesn’t exist — a deliberate anachronism.
Detroit’s decay mirrors the theme of inevitability and moral erosion.
The recurring use of water (pool, lake, rain) symbolizes cleansing and rebirth.
Several background figures in wide shots are actually “It,” subtly approaching the characters.

Trivia

The film was shot in just 20 days on a modest $2 million budget.
Quentin Tarantino once said he loved the concept but wished the film had “tighter internal rules.”
The score by Disasterpeace was completed after most of the film had already been edited, making it feel organic and reactive.
The entity never runs — a choice meant to represent the slow certainty of death.

Why Watch?

Because It Follows is one of the most original horror movies of the 2010s — eerie, intelligent, and beautifully shot. It doesn’t rely on cheap scares but instead infects your mind, making you paranoid long after the credits roll. It’s horror with atmosphere, symbolism, and staying power.

Director’s Other Movies

The Myth of the American Sleepover (2010)
Under the Silver Lake (2018)

It Follows (2014)

Detailed Summary