It Follows: More Than Just a Horror Film

Introduction to a Modern Classic

Since its debut, David Robert Mitchell’s It Follows has been hailed as a landmark achievement in modern horror. The film transcends simple jump scares, creating a lingering sense of dread that stays with viewers long after the credits roll.

This article delves beyond the film’s chilling premise to explore its rich symbolism, masterful craftsmanship, and the unsettling questions it poses about life, death, and intimacy.

The Unrelenting Premise That Redefined a Genre

A Curse Passed Through Intimacy

The story begins with a terrifyingly unique concept: a supernatural curse transmitted through sexual intercourse. Once passed, an entity begins to relentlessly pursue its new victim, visible only to them.

We follow Jay, a young woman whose life is turned upside down after a seemingly innocent encounter. She is plunged into a world of constant paranoia, where any approaching figure could be the harbinger of her demise.

A Masterclass in Atmospheric Horror

The Art of Cinematography and Sound

The film’s visual language is a masterclass in building tension. Mitchell employs deliberate, wide-angle shots and slow, 360-degree pans, forcing the audience into a state of shared paranoia with the characters. You can’t help but scan the background of every frame.

This atmosphere is amplified by Disasterpeace’s iconic synth score. The pulsating, electronic soundtrack creates a perfect blend of retro nostalgia and modern dread, becoming as much a character as the entity itself.

A Timeless Setting Steeped in Nostalgia and Fear

It Follows exists in a deliberately ambiguous time period. The world is a strange mix of old-fashioned cars and CRT televisions alongside a peculiar, shell-shaped e-reader. This creates a dreamlike, almost fable-like quality.

This timeless setting is a crucial element of its horror. By refusing to be anchored in a specific era, the film’s themes of anxiety and pursuit become universal and perpetually relevant.

The Many Faces of “It”: Deconstructing the Layers of Symbolism

The Inevitability of Death

Perhaps the most compelling interpretation is that the entity is a metaphor for death itself. It moves at a slow, steady, walking pace—a relentless and ultimately inescapable force that comes for everyone.

This reading transforms the film from a simple monster movie into a profound meditation on mortality. The characters can delay the inevitable, but they can never truly escape it, mirroring the human condition.

Beyond the Simple STD Allegory

The most immediate interpretation for many is that the film is an allegory for STDs and the anxieties surrounding sex. While this is a valid layer, the film’s mechanics suggest something deeper is at play.

Passing the curse on only provides a temporary reprieve, not a cure. This suggests a more complex commentary on consequences and shared responsibility rather than a direct, one-to-one metaphor for disease.

Trauma, Guilt, and the Loss of Innocence

The entity can also be seen as a powerful symbol of psychological trauma. It represents the lingering effects of a painful experience, a haunting memory that follows you and shapes your perception of the world.

For its young characters, the curse marks a definitive end to their innocence. It is the physical manifestation of the anxieties, fears, and irreversible changes that come with sexual awakening and the transition into adulthood.

Why It Follows Still Haunts Audiences Today

A Legacy of Ambiguity and Dread

The enduring power of It Follows lies in its masterful ambiguity. The film refuses to provide easy answers, leaving the true nature of the entity and the ultimate fate of its characters open to interpretation.

It uses a supernatural horror premise to explore deeply human fears—our anxieties about intimacy, our struggle with consequences, and the inescapable reality of our own mortality. That is why, years later, it still follows us.