We are all familiar with teens getting killed after having sex in horror films. But what about a film where the sexual act is the killer? 

That is what is explored in the 2014 horror film “It Follows” starring Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Lili Sepe, Olivia Luccardi, and Daniel Zovatto. The film was directed by David Robert Mitchell.   

It follows a girl named Jay as she tries to survive as an unknown entity continuously follows her after having sexual contact with a guy she just met. Now that the curse is passed to her, she tries to put an end to the entity before it kills her and others.   

To start, the cinematography for the film is absolutely amazing and innovative for the plot. 

The film uses mainly wide shots to establish that the entity, which can only walk slowly to its victims, could be coming from all directions.  

It utilizes a slow zoom to really hit home that the entity is always moving, ready to kill the person who has the sexual curse. With this, the camera is also always moving to show, as well, the eerie and unsafe feeling of the film.  

For a film that had a budget of around $1 million, it looks extremely professional and better than most horror films that are released today.  

The acting is also very believable and realistic.  

Maika Monroe, who has seen recent success in films such as “Watcher” and “Hot Summer Nights”, is especially terrific as the protagonist. She adds a much-needed sense of dread and anxiety to the performance that further builds the suspense of the film.  

With the person who is cursed being the only one who can see the entity, Monroe gives an isolated and lonely approach to the character of Jay that effectively helps the movie in its horror.  

The editing of the film is also a credit to the film’s creepiness. 

As stated before, since Jay is the only one who can see the entity, the editing gives us notably interesting shots where her friends are trying to fight it while not being able to see it.  

These scenes are very reminiscent of films such as the 2020 remake of “The Invisible Man.” 

The creative writing and story are probably the most interesting part of “It Follows.” 

It takes a simple idea and does it in a way that genuinely evokes the fear and anxiety that comes with never being safe. The idea that the film does not try to explain the origin of the entity also presents a haunting mystery in the film’s events. 

“It Follows” is a visually creative and realized horror film that uses a simple concept to captivate viewers while expressing a realistic fear of never being truly safe even with the people and in the places in which you feel most protected.  

My overall rating: 4.5/5 

Drew Coffey is a sophomore television/video production major. He can be reached at akcoffey@eiu.edu or 217-581-2812.