In an era of often-unnecessary horror sequels (ahem, Texas Chainsaw Massacre), it’s rare for movie-goers to universally agree on when a film requires a second instalment. This is perhaps the case for most horrors except It Follows, with fans of the beloved chiller welcoming the announcement that the 2014 original will receive a follow-up, with Maika Monroe reprising her role as a possessed university student.
The actress, who played Jay Height in the first film, will reunite with It Follows director David Robert Mitchell for the sequel, which is said to be titled They Follow. It’s welcome news for horror fans to whom the story of a sexually transmitted supernatural entity is considered a cult classic, with the dual return of Monroe and Mitchell pointing towards a promising outcome.
Naturally, fanfare around They Follow has turned fans’ attention to the original, which recently took the title of the most visually pleasing horror film, and also the worst choice for a first date movie. In the spirit of Halloween and in anticipation of They Follow, we’re taking a look back at the principal filming locations for 2014’s It Follows.
Where was It Follows filmed?
It Follows was filmed almost entirely in the city of Detroit, Michigan, the hometown of director David Robert Mitchell. Michiganians might catch some of the state’s more noticeable landmarks throughout the film, including establishing shots of Jaycee Park in the Detroit suburb of Troy.
The exterior of Jay’s house is located along a suburban street in Sterling Heights, and is home to the chilling scene in which a naked man appears on the house’s rooftop. Greg’s house, meanwhile, is located just a stone’s throw away on the same street of Trafalgar Way, and is the subject of the chilling scene where “It” smashes the house window and enters.
Scenes were also shot at Detroit’s Packard Plant, an automobile factory that previously featured in Transformers. Elsewhere, It Follows takes viewers to the University of Detroit, in which various scenes were shot, as well as Clawson High School.
It’s within the grounds of this school that Jay and the group hatch a plan to kill the supernatural entity in the swimming pool, which is located within Clawson High School. The exterior shots of this scene were filmed at Detroit’s High Lift Building.
Other notable locations include the Northville Psychiatric Hospital, where Hugh first informs Jay of the existence of the entity, and Nick’s Country Oven restaurant in Clawson, where Jay and Hugh visit after going to the cinema.
Other eateries featured in It Follows include shots of Clarke’s Ice Cream and Yogurt shop in Berkley. Redford Theatre also makes an appearance as the filming location for the scene where Jay cannot see a fellow cinema-goer during a date with Hugh.