Two Of Maika Monroe’s Recent Horror Movies Are Trending On Streaming, But This Creepy Thriller From 10 Years Ago Is Still Her Best

This article contains discussions of sexual abuse.

Over the past decade, Maika Monroe has made a name for herself as a scream queen. Monroe has appeared in several great horror films, all of which were interesting in their own way. Most recently, Monroe's role opposite Nicolas Cage in Osgood Perkins' Longlegs has garnered positive attention from critics and audiences. Now that the 2024 movie is on Disney+/Hulu, Longlegs has found success in the streaming charts following its impressive theatrical run.

In addition to Longlegs, Monroe's 2022 horror film Watcher has likewise found success as one of the top movies streaming on Netflix, and it offers another great look at how the actress can add some very interesting and tense subtleties to her characters. The two movies are both fun to watch and are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. However, after watching Longlegs and Watcher, people should check out Monroe's breakout horror film from 2014, which is arguably one of the best horror movies of recent years.

It Follows Stands Out As One Of The Most Unsettling Horror Movies Of The 2010s

Understandably, Longlegs has become popular on Hulu after having a surprisingly strong box office run. Likewise, Monroe's 2022 psychological horror Watcher is equally gripping and is currently streaming on Netflix. Watcher is a very entertaining watch due to the growing fear that someone is watching and waiting to harm Monroe's character. However, while these two movies undoubtedly deserve the attention that they are currently getting, neither can topple It Follows' place as Monroe's best horror film.

Longlegs and Watcher are both very highly rated, holding 86% and 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively, proving how well Maika Monroe's skills play out in intense horror films. That said, It Follows holds a stunning 95% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has a unique and unsettling tone, excellent pacing for a horror movie, and a horrifying twist. Even as a young performer, Monroe's talent is very clearly displayed in the 2014 film.

Where To Watch It Follows On Streaming

Audiences Can Find It Follows On Max

Luckily, It Follows is currently available to stream on Max, making it the perfect follow-up to Monroe's other two popular films. It Follows focuses on Jay (Monroe), a teenage girl who decides to have sex with her boyfriend for the first time, only for him to later chloroform her and tie her to a wheelchair as he explains what has happened. He claims that by having sex, he has passed on some kind of curse/entity that will follow and kill her unless she passes it to another person via sex. The entity can take the form of any person but is only visible to its immediate target.

One of the most interesting aspects of the film is the open-ended interpretation of the entity and what it really means.

While the film certainly starts on a disturbing note, the pace of the movie and the knowledge that an unknown person is always coming to kill Jay make it incredibly unsettling in a way that few horror movies have been able to pull off. One of the most interesting aspects of the film is the open-ended interpretation of the entity and what it really means. Overall, while It Follows is incredibly successful as a horror film in its ability to scare audiences, it is also interesting in creating discussion about the meaning of "it" itself.

Maika Monroe's Horror Success Makes It Follows 2 More Exciting

A Sequel Is In The Works

Over 10 years after the original film's release, we are finally getting a sequel to It Follows. The sequel, titled They Follow, has been confirmed by Monroe, who will reprise her role as Jay. While none of the other original cast members have given updates yet on whether they will return for They Follow, the news of a sequel is already very exciting. The new movie should begin filming in 2025, and we will hopefully get a release date soon.

A composite image of Jay (Maika Monroe) looking shocked with the tall entity looming in the doorway in It Follows

It Follows Ending, Explained

The It Follows ending brings the 2014 horror movie to an ambiguous conclusion, leaving it unclear if Jay is free from the relentless entity.

Posts

We don't know what They Follow will be about, though many believe that Mitchell's original sequel idea of the characters looking for the origin of the curse could be a promising path. If this is the case, the movie will certainly be very entertaining and could answer some long-standing questions about the curse. Alternatively, They Follow could choose to go in a completely different direction since it will pick up 10 years after Jay first encountered the curse. Whatever the case, Maika Monroe is guaranteed to give another great performance.