It's FlickFloptober, and this week we’re hiding in the bushes for It Follows—David Robert Mitchell’s haunting indie horror that made us terrified of anyone casually walking toward us from across the street. Starring Maika Monroe, the film introduces a sexually transmitted curse that passes from lover to lover like the world’s most sinister game of tag. Does this slow-burn nightmare deliver chills that linger, or did we want to give it the finger?
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Release Details:
• Title: It Follows
• Year: 2014 (limited release 2015)
• Director: David Robert Mitchell
• Writer(s): David Robert Mitchell
• Top Billed Stars: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi
• Running Time: 100 minutes
• Country of Origin: United States
• Official Release Date(s):
○ May 17, 2014 (Cannes Film Festival)
○ March 13, 2015 (United States wide release)
Rotten Tomatoes Score:
• Critic Score: 95%
• Audience Score: 66%
Plot Summary:
Jay Height (Maika Monroe) is a carefree young woman whose life takes a dark turn after a seemingly innocent sexual encounter. Following a date with a mysterious man, Jay learns she’s been cursed with a supernatural entity that relentlessly stalks its victims at a walking pace—always coming, never stopping, until the target is dead. The only way to pass it on is through sexual intimacy with another person, who will then inherit the curse.
As Jay begins to unravel under the weight of paranoia, she bands together with her sister and close friends in a desperate attempt to understand and escape the entity. The terror isn’t about sudden jump scares, but the persistent dread of being pursued by something unstoppable, something that could look like a stranger—or someone you love.
The story unfolds like a fever dream, blending horror with surrealism, where the fear doesn’t vanish with daylight and trust becomes just as fragile as safety. By the end, Jay must decide whether to fight, flee, or pass the curse to save herself.
Background & Interesting Details:
• The film was shot in Detroit, Michigan, giving it a decayed, dreamlike Americana backdrop that adds to its unease.
• Director David Robert Mitchell described the inspiration as coming from recurring nightmares he had as a child about being pursued by a slow-moving figure.
• The time period is intentionally ambiguous—mixing retro technology (tube TVs, old cars) with modern devices (like Yara’s shell-shaped e-reader). This gives the film a timeless, uncanny atmosphere.
• The soundtrack, composed by Rich Vreeland (aka Disasterpeace), is heavily synth-driven and often cited as one of the best modern horror scores, drawing inspiration from John Carpenter’s Halloween.
• It Follows became a cult sensation after its Cannes premiere, with critics praising its originality and slow-burn terror. Despite a modest $1.3 million budget, it grossed over $23 million worldwide.
• The ambiguous ending—Jay and Paul walking hand-in-hand with a figure in the distance—has fueled years of fan theories about whether the curse truly ended.
Other Projects (Writer/Director/Main Leads):
• David Robert Mitchell (Director/Writer): Also directed The Myth of the American Sleepover (2010), Under the Silver Lake (2018).
• Maika Monroe (Jay): Known for The Guest (2014), Tau (2018), Significant Other (2022). Dubbed a modern “scream queen.”
• Keir Gilchrist (Paul): Known for It’s Kind of a Funny Story (2010), Atypical (Netflix series), Dead...
