‘It Follows’ ending, explained

A sequel to one of the last decade’s most intriguing horror films is officially in the works, bringing us a follow-up to 2014’s fascinating It Follows.

The suspenseful film retains the high praise it earned upon release, and the idea of a sequel instantly qualified it for a position back on “must-watch” lists. It Follows is hugely popular in the horror community, and has been for nearly a decade, despite overarching criticism of its less impactful second half. The flick starts off incredibly strong, with a horrific, mysterious murder, but ends without the same bang. Its final moments are still widely discussed among those who’ve witnessed David Robert Mitchell’s second feature film, however, thanks to its careful teasing of a continuation. Not everyone agrees on exactly what those final moments imply, but we’re certainly excited to find out when They Follow arrives in theaters.

What is It Follows about?

It’s still unclear exactly what They Follow will be about, but it’s clear from both the title and preliminary cast list that it’s a continuation of the first part. The idea makes sense, considering how the first film ended, and presents some interesting possibilities for the expanding franchise.

Before we get into the film’s ending, however, let’s quickly cover the premise of this unique and chilling twist on the classic horror tale. It Follows presents its thrills through a universally terrifying concept: A dark, murderous entity that never stops, never slows, and never gives up. It simply follows. Constant, unstopping, and seemingly unstoppable, the entity takes on several metaphors, but the clearest is easily sexually transmitted disease. Because its target list is determined by sexual intercourse, many people have classified the entity as a personification of STDs.

There are those who also see it as a metaphor for the fleeting nature of youth, stalking, or the gradual anxiety of the encroaching wider world, but regardless of how you classify the entity, it’s always terrifying. The idea of being hunted by an unrelenting, malicious force that no one else can see is singularly frightening and earned Mitchell high acclaim from viewers. Now that concept is set to expand, it would seem, with the introduction of additional vengeful entities in They Follow.

The It Follows ending leaves off with a cliffhanger

The first entry in It Follows sees protagonist Jay, played by Maika Monroe, attempt a number of avenues to shake her persistent pursuer. Upon accepting that it truly does exist, and seemingly intends her harm, she finally bites the bullet and has sex to pass it on — only to have her sexual partner quickly attacked and murdered. This cements, for her, that there’s no escaping her fate, which urges Jay and her friends to shift to the offensive.

They attempt to set a trap for the entity, but it’s too smart to be so easily killed off. It doesn’t take the bait when Jay attempts to lure it into a rigged pool, and instead nearly kills her. Thanks to her friends, however, it is eventually shot — several times — and seemingly killed off. It’s seen — or not seen, more accurately — spewing blood into the pool as Jay and her friends watch, before they accept its demise and move on with their lives.

But it’s rarely so easy to kill off a supernatural pursuer, and the final moments of It Follows seemingly confirm that the entity is, in fact, still among us. Jay, relieved at her newfound freedom, finally gives in to her longtime friend Paul’s urging and sleeps with him. Assuming the entity is dead, this doesn’t put Paul in any danger, but this is a horror film. Things are rarely tied up with such a tidy bow. In the film’s final shot, we are given a teaser — but absolutely no confirmation — that the entity still lives. As Jay and Paul walk through a neighborhood, hand in hand, a figure can be seen on the sidewalk behind them, following at a fair distance. Is it a random stranger, walking in the same direction as the traumatized teens? Or is it the entity, back on its feet and on the hunt?

It’s deliciously unclear, which forces It Follows to linger in viewers’ minds for weeks after the final credits roll. Among many, it seems clear that the entity lives, and is back to following its next targets, but among some, it’s simply a tease to keep us guessing. With the news of They Follow, it seems we have official confirmation that the entity did, in fact, survive, and is set to make a return. So is Maika Monroe, on the bright side, which means — at the very least — that Jay will make a return for the sequel. How quickly she’ll be killed off is another matter entirely, and one we won’t know the truth of until the film officially drops.