It Follows and the American Fear of Sex

While the overt theme and purpose of the new horror film It Follows would seem to be a contemporary homage to director John Carpenter at the height of his acclaim (e.g. Halloween, Prince of Darkness, The Fog, etc.), as with most great horror narratives it masks a deeper symbolism and metaphorical power. Within the film, young college student Jay (Maika Monroe) experiences a sexual encounter with her new boyfriend Hugh (Jake Weary) that leads to her being pursued by a mysterious force that would, should it overtake her, kill her in a most disturbing fashion.

After Jay’s backseat fling, Hugh explains that the curse he passed onto her can only be exchanged through sexual intercourse, and that “It” will appear in human form – whether as a stranger or as a loved one – and will only be visible to her and anyone else who has experienced the curse.

Throughout the film, a palpable dread blankets the proceedings, not only as a result of the existential threat of death represented in the steady encroachment of the dead eyed figures that threaten Jay’s very life, but also in the presence of young adults with independent sexual agency – and the freedom to express it – and how something so enticing and pleasurable can simultaneously be seen as a terrible and joyless burden.

Interestingly, It Follows critiques – or at least reflects – the conservative Christian ideal of sex that has permeated and dominated society since Augustine converted to the faith basically through the act of celibacy. This ideal is one of chastity until the heteronormative ritual of holy matrimony whereby the previously immoral act of sexual copulation suddenly transforms into a God approved act of love and commitment.

That’s putting things charitably, of course, as contemporary Christian sexual ideology actually comes into conflict with the writings of the venerable apostle Paul, who states in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9, “To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is well for them to remain unmarried as I am. But if they are not practicing self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame with passion.” In other words, for Paul marriage was not the celebratory unification of two lovers, but the absolute last resort to protect oneself from the immorality of sexual intercourse. Not a fun guy, Paul.

Despite contemporary Christianity’s support of sexual copulation under the canopy of marriage, Paul’s admonition begins a long tradition of the Church denouncing sexual activity as irrational or even demonic, thusly enabling religious regulation of the act of sex, creating a physical/spiritual dualism that alienated Christian adherents from their sexuality under the guise of fleshly purity. Rather than our sexual desires and appetites being viewed through the lens of loving relationships, it has been stigmatized and regulated, having evolved into a warped and improper version of Christian ethics.

This Protestant “ethic” transcended religious boundaries and embedded itself into the very fabric of American society. Western culture as a whole is inarguably sexually negative, in the sense that sex becomes a type of shorthand for morality, acting as the communal measuring stick determining if someone is good or bad by whether they are having sex (or the right kind of sex for married folk). It Follows reflects this sexual negativity, the curse coming to symbolize the potential guilt that comes from engaging in an “immoral” activity, the fear of contracting an STI, the threat of pregnancy (one can’t help but view the image of a swimming pool filling up with blood as a metaphor for menstruation), or even the notion – specious as it might be – that when you sleep with someone you’re sleeping with everyone they have already been with sexually.

It’s interesting how It Follows evokes the feel of a horror film from the 1980s; not only in the aforementioned Carpenteresque visual style and the ominous synth pop score from Disasterpeace, but also in the retro art design. Save for the ubiquitous presence of an e-reader, scenes are prominently decorated with rotary phones, old school rabbit eared televisions, and wardrobe choices that would fit right in with The Breakfast Club. This choice seems to acknowledge the sexual fear that circulated throughout the eighties as a result of the AIDS crisis, leading to the emergence of sexual abstinence groups such as the Southern Baptist created True Love Waits program that preyed on teenage sexual anxieties in order to convert young people to Christianity, reinforcing the political nature of sex and sexuality by culturally rewarding certain behavior (abstinence) while stigmatizing others (any pre-marital sexual activity whatsoever).

Which begs the question of whether it is possible to better unite sexuality and Christian theology.

In It Follows, the act of sexual intercourse is neither erotic nor pleasant. It is cold and objective reflected in the dispassionate and detached sex scenes that only serve to transmit the curse to another body. These are young adults seeking to alleviate the fear of death, willing to live with the guilt of their actions as long as it concludes with the relief of no longer being pursued by an unrelenting supernatural force. Jay unsuccessfully attempts to pass the curse on twice – once to a neighbor and then a stranger – before finally having sex with Paul (Keir Gilchrist), a childhood friend who seems to genuinely love her. The final shot of the film seems to imply only sex born out of love can dispel the fear that the curse produces.

Jay (Maika Monroe) sees "It"

However, this closing image – two young adults hand-in-hand walking down the street, seemingly content and happy as “It” closes in behind them – hints at a view of sexuality that runs counter to the regulation and stigmatization that too often poses as the dominant Christian/Protestant sexual ethic of western society, which exists more as a list of rigid and judgmental rules versus serving as a discipline of constructing and maintaining just relationships. Paul willingly accepts the curse knowing full well the ramifications of his choice, which speaks to the values at the core of the Christian story. Despite the pain and horror that Jay’s initial sexual copulation with Hugh wrought, she and Paul ultimately defy the spirit of sexual fear and regulation introduced by the curse and embrace one another in a relationship of sacrifice and love.