Analysing The Period of Stillness Captured in The Horror Film: It Follows
The wait for It Follows, which film lovers anticipated in 2014, was a stretch for many fans of horror. After all, the the psychological horror film was a hit on the festival circuit. Directed by David Robert Mitchell, It Follows was, and still is, the most successful horror film due to its avant garde idea of a supernatural entity pursuing a victim, and it being a feature of the cursed sexual encounter. The festival circuit buzz and the film’s premiere heightened the contrast of modern dread and pseudo american gothic horror, dominant in the film.
The Heaviness the Plot Carried
After a sexual encounter, shape shifting entity opted to pursue Jay Height, a young women singled out in, and for the, film, played by Maika Monroe. The ’emotionless spectator’ of the horror canon, Jay, after a sexual encounter with Hugh was, a haunted by ‘supernatural force’, cursed to ‘be signed’ with a disembodied, and shape shifting entity. The ‘mysteries of the caution curse’ are only extended in horror, and even more, to horror victims, at the climax of the rounds, must still, ‘be signed’ with the dread. The spectator, and horror victim, was a cursed, and simultaneously a ‘mystery’ carrying, a ‘mystery’, of the modern dread.
Jay’s journey has a distinct arc—her transition from a relaxed and playful youth to a survivor who must face the reality of death head-on. Jay is a character who must work through and conquer despair, fear, and loneliness. She builds a strong sense of ingenuity and bravery. Jay’s friends—Paul, Yara, and Greg—each serve as a measure of support and as a reflection of Jay’s situation. Paul has a special fixation on Jay and helps her out, even when things become overtly risky. This outlines the balance and tension of trust and paranoia prevalent throughout the film.
The narrative’s simplicity is the mark of its true beauty. Unlike most horror films, the entity of this film does not run toward horror and gore. It builds expectation through a suspense that is mostly dread, and does not showcase itself. It is the death of the spirit that is the most horrific to experience.
Hype, Expectations, and the Festival Buzz
Before its wide release, It Follows was already generating buzz at South by Southwest (SXSW) and other festivals. Some critics lauded the film for its minimalist approach, retro styled cinematography, and haunting synth score by Disasterpeace. The tagline, “it is coming for you” became a meme before mainstream audiences could see the film. Fans speculated about the entity’s origins—whether it was a metaphor for sexual anxiety, a disease, or the inevitability of death. Some of the more psychological interpretations received praise.
Rather than explicit horror, the film’s marketing focused on ambiguity. This was especially prominent in the trailers. There were no jump scares, just a constant and eerie calm. The marketing strategy was a massive success, especially among horror aficionados eager for a film that could break the predictable slasher and supernatural horror film mold. There was little doubt that It Follows would jump the overused tropes to deliver something cerebral and haunting.
Maika Monroe: Fear as Craft
Maika Monroe’s performance as Jay Height was critical to the film’s success. Monroe was a relatively unknown actress at the time. This added a unique layer to the film because her character’s average young adult demographic made her more relatable. Monroe had to embody terror in a film that was dominated by a supernatural entity. More often than not, horror acting is criticized for theatrical over the top performances and screaming. Monroe had to portray terror using subtle cues. In the case of It Follows there was a more extreme and persistent presence. The entity’s relentless approach in Monroe’s performance requires a sideways glance, tense posture, and an ability to convey dread.
Monroe was still building her career during this time. Long nights and many hours outdoors performing the part were exhausting and took a toll on her physically and emotionally; however, many years later, she described those exhausting nights as “transformative” because it helped her to understand fear, vulnerability, and resilience at a more profound depth that is rarely available to actors at her age. This off-screen focus and dedication gave Jay a depth that was palpable, rendering the audience breathless with that slow, creeping horror.
Cinematic Craft and the World That Haunts
Perhaps one of the aspects of “It Follows” that attracts the most attention is the cinematography. Mitchell’s choice to evoke the feeling of 1970s horror with wide, static shots created a spooky feeling of horror. The slow movement of the entity is emphasized with long takes where the audience is kept for an extended period of time, forcing them to look for details, shadows, and subtle signs of danger. The dreamlike, liminal atmosphere created by the abandoned streets, parking lots and swimming pools of present-day Detroit, and the exposed swimming pools, contributed to a feeling where safety was a fleeting concept and anxiety was pervasive.
Disasterpeace’s synth-heavy score was yet another highlight. The music did not simply accompany the action—it drove it. The score turned otherwise mundane scenes into tense moments and implanted discomfort into the audience’s mind. While some early viewers felt the pace was frustratingly slow, and the entity’s movement felt anticlimactic, many critics emphasized that the precision of the horror was key. Real fear has nothing to do with speed but the certainty of that the horror will come.
Supporting the Lead Characters and their Arcs
Through performances that balanced tension with humanity, Keir Gilchrist (Paul), Olivia Luccardi (Yara) and Daniel Zovatto (Greg) each added layers to the story. Gilchrist’s Paul devotedly and obsessively loyal, showing the irrational lengths people will go to protect someone they love. Olivia Luccardi’s Yara provides the moral center and emotional clarity, while Daniel Zovatto’s Greg illustrates the empathetic side of terror that fear encompasses and that can profoundly fracture relationships.
Unlike the characters they portrayed, the young cast got along, bonding over the punishing shooting schedule that involved running scenes multiple times to keep the performances authentic. To many, the environment was excruciatingly exhausting yet exhilarating. These off-screen trials of the Shadouts spent Reflection. Exhaustion, fear, and vigilance became parts of the lived experience and added a layer of realism to their reactions.
“Secrets from Behind the Camera”
Careful direction and focus on detail is a trademark of Mitchell’s work. He filmed several sequences at night or in desolate locations to emphasize a sense of isolation. He also preferred the use of practical effects instead of relying on CGI. Monroe has stated that in some scenes isolation was represented by an actor, and sometimes just a simple piece of cutout, and she was expected to respond to something invisible or minimal.
There were also challenges in terms of production. Abandoned and partially renovated locations posed challenges in terms of lighting and safety. Concerning the physical stamina of the cast and crew, the pacing and scheduling of night shoots was relentless, however, this also served to the palpable onscreen tension. These challenges may not be obvious to an audience, but the atmospheric tension of the film is a testimony to this behind the scenes adversity.
Finally, the film did slightly provoke controversy most probably inscribed to the sexualized elements of the plot and the body horror. The more conservative commentary posed concern with the linkage of sex and punishment on the supernatural order, while, and in stark contrast, the critics and the academic community appreciated the work on its metaphorical and deeply constructed adult anxiety.
The Fear That Lingeringly Follows
The mainstream premiere of It Follows exceeded all expectations. It garnered praise for balancing suspense, originality, and emotional weight, while audiences adored the lingering dread and thoughtful performances. The film’s success boosted the status of Monroe and the supporting cast while securing Mitchell’s reputation for the seamless integration of psychological profundity and genre innovation.
Unlike other classic horror films, It Follows does not rely on gore, but rather, it works with the concepts of inevitability, paranoia, and the human reaction to danger that does not relent. The embodiment of real dedication, burnout, and ingenuity in the performances and scores of the film, ‘It Follows’, mirrors the slow, almost unbearable, terror that the film captures so perfectly.
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