It Follows (2015) is one of the most fresh horrors movies in recent years. While it pays homage to some iconic slasher movies, is the main protagonist harder to defeat than the likes of Michael Myers, or a lot easier? Did the film's characters really try as hard as they could have to defeat "It"? How do you beat the monster in It Follows? Let's find out...
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Here are a number of ways we think the "sexually-transmitted demon" can be defeated, or at the very least, slowed down for a long time...
Table of Contents
1. Jump on a Plane
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Heading to the nearest airport and hopping on a plane isn't really an option for most sixteen-year olds, so we understand why Jay doesn't flee the country in It Follows. But with that said, extreme circumstances call for extreme measures.
So, if "It" actually existed here in the real world, and we were lucky enough to discover that we're being stalked before it's too late, we'd catch a plane to the nearest country in the hope that "It" doesn't follow (see what we did there?).
There is, however, a catch. At the time of the film's release in 2015, director David Robert Mitchell said that the demon could actually board a plane to pursue its victim. Although this raises more questions than it answers.
2. Trap It
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The idea of trapping the demon was almost explored in It Follows. During the third act, Jay and her friends try to lure "It" into a swimming pool, which they have surrounded with several electronic devices.
While it's far from the same idea, it does make us wonder whether or not it would have been worth the troubled teens trying to isolate the demon instead of killing it. In other words, luring it into a giant big hole in the ground.
The challenge, however, would be acquiring the resources to dig a big enough hole. But what about a coffin, or a deep chasm in the mountains? The only trouble here would be letting "It" get close enough to execute such a plan.
3. Kill It
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Whether "It" can be killed or not is a question that isn't really answered in the film. While the characters do seemingly kill it during the third act by shooting it twice in the head, the fact that it survives the first shot raises some questions.
In fact, the demon takes a shot to the neck earlier on in the film, which of course suggests that, much like the bogeyman Michael Myers, it possess superhuman strength. But then it is, after all, a supernatural entity.
Nevertheless, if this were a real problem, we'd try everything in our power to destroy the demon. Although this is easier said than done for a bunch of teens who don't exactly have an arsenal of weapons at their disposal.
4. Keep Moving
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With all other options exhausted, the best thing to do is to probably keep on moving, whether that's hitting the road, jumping on a plane, or doing some travelling around the world (you might as well try to enjoy yourself!).
If the demon follows the rules established in the film, then surely you could, to some degree, carry on with your life as normal. As normal as going on the run is, of course. The real question is whether or not these are actual rules.
What the demon can and can't do is revealed through what can be considered to be mostly guesswork on the characters' part. The best option, we think, is to live on an island no plane can reach. Unless "It" can walk underwater...
Here's the official synopsis for It Follows:
After a date and seemingly innocent sexual encounter, 19-year-old Jay is left with an inescapable sense that someone, or something is following her. Jay and her friends team up to try and find ways to escape the traumatising horrors that are always right behind them.
A sensation with critics and audiences alike, It Follows is a smart, stylish and suspenseful horror film that brings new life to the genre. Teen sex, suburbia, murder and nightmarish demons all take on a new layer of substance and style in a film that will linger with you long after the credits roll.
It Follows stars Maika Monroe (Jamie "Jay" Height), Keir Gilchrist (Paul Bolduan), Olivia Luccardi (Yara Davis), Lili Sepe (Kelly Height), Daniel Zovatto (Greg Hannigan), Jake Weary (Hugh/Jeff Redmond), Bailey Spry (Annie Marshall), Debbie Williams (Mrs. Height), and Ruby Harris (Mrs. Redmond),
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