It Follows
| It Follows | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | David Robert Mitchell |
| Written by | David Robert Mitchell |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Mike Gioulakis |
| Edited by | Julio C. Perez IV |
| Music by | Disasterpeace |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | RADiUS-TWC |
Release dates |
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Running time | 100 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $17.7 million[2] |
It Follows is a 2014 American supernatural horror film written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, and starring Maika Monroe.[3] The plot follows a girl pursued by a supernatural entity after a sexual encounter.[4] Filmed in Detroit, Michigan, It Follows debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in 2014 to significant critical acclaim. It was purchased by The Weinstein Company's subsidiary, RADiUS-TWC, for North American distribution. After receiving a successful limited release beginning March 13, 2015, the film received a wide release on March 27, 2015.
Plot
A girl flees her house in fear and drives to the beach where she tearfully tells her parents she loves them over the phone. By morning, she has been brutally murdered.
Jay Height, a carefree college student living in Michigan, goes on a movie date. Inside the theater, her date, Hugh, spots a young woman at the entrance. He points her out to Jay, but she cannot see her. Hugh becomes afraid and demands that he and Jay leave the theater. On another date, Hugh and Jay have sex in his car and he incapacitates her with chloroform.
Jay wakes up tied to a wheelchair. Hugh explains that he has passed a curse to her through sex: an entity visible only to those with the curse that can take on others' appearances that will pursue Jay at walking pace. If the entity catches her, it will kill her and then pursue the person who passed the curse to her. Hugh implores that Jay sleep with someone else as soon as she can to be rid of the entity. A naked woman approaches them from the nearby woods and Hugh drops Jay off at home.
At school, Jay is approached by an old woman and flees to her sister Kelly's workplace. Kelly and her friends Yara and Paul, the latter having a crush on Jay, decide to spend the night to keep watch. That night, Paul hears the kitchen window break. Jay sees a half-naked and bloodied woman walking toward her; the others cannot see the entity. When a tall man with gouged-out eyes enters the bedroom, Jay flees the house to a playground.
Greg, Jay and Kelly's neighbor, drives them to Hugh's house, now abandoned, where they find a high school photo of him. With the help of the high school, they discover that Hugh's real name is Jeff Redmond and trace him to his mother's address. Jeff informs them he believes he got the curse from a one-night stand and reiterates that Jay must have sex to get rid of it. They drive to Greg's lakehouse, where Jay learns to fire a gun. The entity catches up to Jay and attacks her on the shore. She shoots it, momentarily incapacitating it, and escapes in Greg's car, crashing into a cornfield. She wakes up in the hospital with a broken arm, surrounded by her mother and friends.
In the hospital, Greg has sex with Jay to pass on the curse, and insists he does not believe in it. Later, Jay sees the entity in the form of Greg smash the window to Greg's own house and enter. She tries to warn the real Greg on the phone but he does not answer. She runs into the house and finds the entity in the form of Greg's mother knocking on his door. When Greg answers, it jumps on him and appears to rape him as he dies. Once again the target, Jay flees and spends the night by the beach. The next morning, she sees three young men on a boat. She undresses and walks into the water. Back home, Paul expresses his feelings about Jay sleeping with Greg and not him; he offers to have sex with her, but she refuses.
The group plans to lure the entity into an abandoned swimming pool and electrocute it. The entity arrives and Jay realizes it has taken the appearance of her father. Instead of entering the pool, the entity picks up the electrical devices and throws them at Jay. Paul attempts to shoot the entity but cannot see it and accidentally wounds Yara. Kelly drapes a blanket over the entity, allowing Paul to shoot it in the head. It falls into the pool. Paul asks Jay if she can see if the entity is dead. Jay approaches the pool, which slowly fills with blood.
Jay and Paul have sex; afterwards, Paul drives past prostitutes in a seedy part of town. The wounded but healing Yara reads a passage from the Russian novel The Idiot in her hospital bed. Jay and Paul hold hands and walk down the sidewalk; someone walks behind them.
Cast
- Maika Monroe as Jay Height
- Keir Gilchrist as Paul
- Olivia Luccardi as Yara
- Lili Sepe as Kelly Height
- Daniel Zovatto as Greg Hannigan
- Jake Weary as Jeff Redmond / Hugh
- Bailey Spry as Annie
- Debbie Williams as Mrs. Height
- Ruby Harris as Mrs. Redmond
- Leisa Pulido as Mrs. Hannigan
- Ele Bardha as Mr. Height
Additionally, Ingrid Mortimer, Alexyss Spradlin, Mike Lanier, Don Hails, and Erin Stone play various incarnations of the entity.
Development and production
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2015) |
Writer and director David Robert Mitchell conceived the film based upon recurring dreams he had in his youth about being followed: "I had it when I was very young, the nightmare. I had it several times and I still remember images from it. I didn't use those images for the film, but the basic idea and the feeling I used. From what I understand, it's an anxiety dream. 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."[5] The role that sexual transmission plays came later, from Mitchell wanting something that could transfer between people.[6] Mitchell started writing the film in 2011 while working on a separate film he intended to be his second feature film; however, Mitchell struggled with this would-be second feature and decided to make It Follows as his next film instead.[7] While working on the film, 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 that "When you say it out loud, it sounds like the worst thing ever." [6]
The film was shot in 2013 in Detroit, Michigan.[8] Director David Robert Mitchell used wide-angle lenses when filming to give the film an expansive look,[8] and cited the works of George Romero and John Carpenter as influences on the film's compositions and visual aesthetic.[5]
Release
It Follows premiered at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2014. It was released theatrically in France on February 4, 2015 and in the United Kingdom on February 27. It was given a limited release in the United States on March 13[9] and a wide release on March 27[10] in 1,200 theatres.[11] The film was released along the United States release in a limited release on March 27, 2015 in Canada by Mongrel Media.[12]
Interpretations
It Follows has sparked numerous interpretations from film critics in regard to the source of "it" and the film's symbolism.[5] Director Mitchell stated: "I'm not personally that interested in where 'it' comes from. 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. Even if you try to solve it."[5] Some critics have interpreted the film as a parable on AIDS and/or other sexually-transmitted diseases,[13] the sexual revolution,[14] and tapping into "primal anxieties" about intimacy.[15]
Beneath the anxieties about sex (and STDs), the film is also about death, about existential dread in the face of death's inevitability, and about how people try (and fail) to postpone death. There are three quotations in the film that stress the theme of mortality. When Jay is in English class, her teacher is reading from T. S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," and Yara reads two passages on the imminence of death from Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Idiot.[16]
Soundtrack
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
The score was composed by Rich Vreeland, better known as Disasterpeace.[17] It was released on February 2, 2015 over Editions Milan Music with permission of The Weinstein Company with a digital booklet.[18] The digital version of the album went on sale March 10, 2015.
Track listing
All music composed by Rich Vreeland.[citation needed]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Heels" | 2:46 |
| 2. | "Title" | 2:17 |
| 3. | "Jay" | 1:28 |
| 4. | "Anyone" | 1:48 |
| 5. | "Old Maid" | 2:32 |
| 6. | "Company" | 4:12 |
| 7. | "Detroit" | 1:20 |
| 8. | "Detritus" | 2:18 |
| 9. | "Playpen" | 1:28 |
| 10. | "Inquiry" | 2:20 |
| 11. | "Lakeward" | 1:34 |
| 12. | "Doppel" | 5:25 |
| 13. | "Relay" | 1:52 |
| 14. | "Greg" | 3:28 |
| 15. | "Snare" | 0:59 |
| 16. | "Pool" | 1:35 |
| 17. | "Father" | 5:01 |
| 18. | "Linger" | 2:20 |
| Total length: | 44:43 | |
Reception
Box office
It Follows opened in limited theaters on March 13, 2015 in the U.S. and Canada. It 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 2015.[19]
The movie made its international debut in the United Kingdom on February 27, 2015 where it earned $573,290 (£371,142) on 190 screens for the #8 position. The following week, the film dropped two spots to #10 with a weekend gross of $346,005 (£229,927) from 240 screens.
As of April 5, the movie has a domestic gross of $8.9 million and an international gross of $1.6 million for a worldwide total of $10.3 million.[20][21][22]
Critical response
It Follows received widespread critical acclaim,[23] with critics praising the direction, acting, plot, score, cinematography, and old-fashioned scares. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 96% "Certified Fresh" approval rating with an average score of 8.2/10, based on 171 reviews. 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."[24] On review aggregator website Metacritic, the film has an average rating of 83/100 based on 37 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[25]
Peter Debruge of Variety gave a positive review, saying, "Starting off strong before losing its way in the end, this stylish, suspenseful chiller should significantly broaden Mitchell’s audience without disappointing his early supporters in the slightest."[26] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter said, "Creepy, suspenseful and sustained, this skillfully made lo-fi horror movie plays knowingly with genre tropes and yet never winks at the audience, giving it a refreshing face-value earnestness that makes it all the more gripping."[27] Tim Robey of The Telegraph gave the film five out of five stars and said, "With its marvellously suggestive title and thought-provoking exploration of sex, this indie chiller is a contemporary horror fan's dream come true."[28] Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of The A.V. 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 degree pans."[29] Mike Pereira of Bloody Disgusting described the film as a "creepy, mesmerizing exercise in minimalist horror" and labelled it "a classical horror masterpiece".[30] Michael Nordine of Vice also offered significant praise for the film, naming it "the best horror film in years". [31] Critic Mark Frauenfelder listed the film as "the best horror film in over a decade". [32]
Sequel
Following the film's success, Radius-TWC co-president Tom Quinn announced that the studio is looking into a possible sequel.[33] Quinn has expressed the idea of flipping the concept of the first film around, with Maika Monroe's Jay or another protagonist going down the chain to find the origin of "it."[34]
References
- ^ "IT FOLLOWS (15)". British Board of Film Classification. December 15, 2014. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
- ^ "It Follows (2015)". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
- ^ Kohn, Eric (May 24, 2014). "Cannes Review: 'It Follows' Is a Teen Horror Movie Like You've Never Seen It Before". Indiewire. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
- ^ Kohn, Eric (May 24, 2014). "Cannes Review: 'It Follows' stars Keir Gilchrist ("The United States of Tara"), Jake Weary ("Chicago Fire") and Maika Monroe". Dread Central. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
- ^ a b c d Rawson-Jones, Ben (March 8, 2015). "Exploring the horror of It Follows: David Robert Mitchell interview". Digital Spy (Interview). Interviewed by Mitchell, David Robert.
{{cite interview}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ a b Watkins, Gwynne. "The Yahoo Movies Interview: 'It Follows' Director David Robert Mitchell on His Surprise Horror Hit". Yahoo. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
- ^ Dowd, A.A. "David Robert Mitchell on his striking new horror film, It Follows". The A.V Club. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
- ^ a b Whitaker, Richard (March 26, 2015). "It Follows Goes Everywhere". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
- ^ "It Follows Debuts a New Trailer, Set for March 2015 Release". commingsoon.net. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
- ^ Steve Barton (March 24, 2015). "'It Follows Opening Wide; See it Friday!". Dread Central. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Brad Miska (March 24, 2015). "'It Follows Press Release!". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Parkin, Nigel (March 24, 2015). "'It Follows Canadian release today 27 March!". Fangoria. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Lyne, Charlie (February 21, 2015). "It Follows: 'Love and sex are ways we can push death away'". The Guardian. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
- ^ Olszyk, Nicholas. "Pope Paul VI Make a Horror Film". Catholic World Report. Ignatius Press. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
- ^ Bradshaw, Peter (February 26, 2015). "It Follows review – sexual dread fuels a modern horror classic". The Guardian.
- ^ Dawn Keetley, Review of It Follows, http://www.horrorhomeroom.com/it-follows-2014-film-review/
- ^ Chris Tilly (February 1, 2015). "Disasterpeace From The 'It Follows' Soundtrack". IGN. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Chris Tilly (February 1, 2015). "Disasterpeace The 'It Follows' Soundtrack". IGN. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Brian Brooks (March 15, 2015). "Audiences Tracking 'It Follows' Closely In 2015's Best Specialty Debut". Deadline.com. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "It Follows". March 15, 2015. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
- ^ "'It Follows' Was a Pretty Big Deal At the Box Office". March 15, 2015. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
- ^ "Box Office – Did Moviegoers Follow It Follows". March 15, 2015. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
- ^ Alex Ritman (March 3, 2015). "U.K. Box Office: 'Exotic Marigold' Sequel Topples 'Fifty Shades'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ It Follows at Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ It Follows at Metacritic
- ^ Peter Debruge (May 28, 2014). "Cannes Film Review: 'It Follows'". Variety. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ David Rooney (May 17, 2014). "'It Follows': Cannes Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Tom Robey (May 18, 2014). "Cannes 2014 - It Follows, review: 'tender, ingenious and scalp-prickingly scary'". The Telegraph. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Ignatiy Vishnevetsky (September 5, 2014). "Toronto 2014, Day One: Judging Robert Downey Jr., catching up with Locarno and Cannes". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Ignatiy Vishnevetsky (September 5, 2014). "Mike Pereira referred to as a creepy, mesmerizing exercise in minimalist horror" when reviewed out of the TIFF". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ Miska, Brad. "Radius-TWC Wants An "It Follows" Sequel". BloodyDisgusting. Bloody Disgusting LLC.
{{cite web}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Missing or empty|url=(help) - ^ Sullivan, Kevin. "It Follows sequel could take story in the other direction -- exclusive". Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly Inc. Retrieved April 8, 2015.