It Follows is a 2014 American supernatural horror film written and directed by David Robert Mitchell. It became a modern cult favorite for its atmospheric tension, minimalist storytelling, and allegorical exploration of fear and mortality.
Key facts
- Director: David Robert Mitchell
- Release year: 2014
- Starring: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto
- Genre: Supernatural horror / coming-of-age
- Music: Disasterpeace
Plot and themes
Set in suburban Detroit, It Follows centers on Jay Height, a young woman who becomes haunted by a supernatural entity transmitted through sexual contact. The being relentlessly walks toward its victims, able to take any human form. The film intertwines supernatural horror with a meditation on intimacy, guilt, and the inevitability of death. Its ambiguous rules and dreamlike tone evoke unease more through atmosphere than jump scares.
Style and influences
The film draws heavily on the visual language of 1970s and 1980s horror, notably the works of Halloween director John Carpenter. It features long tracking shots, wide framing, and a synthesizer score that heightens its nostalgic yet timeless feel. The suburban decay and anachronistic details contribute to a sense of disorientation.
Reception and impact
It Follows premiered at Cannes Film Festival and earned widespread critical acclaim for its originality and tension-building craft. It grossed over $23 million worldwide on a modest budget, establishing Mitchell and Monroe as major voices in contemporary horror. The film is frequently cited in discussions of “elevated horror” alongside titles like The Babadook and Hereditary.
Legacy
Regarded as one of the defining independent horror films of the 2010s, It Follows influenced later genre works that favor slow-burn dread over graphic violence. Its central metaphor—an unstoppable curse—has inspired scholarly readings on sexuality, trauma, and existential anxiety.