Perhaps the most convincing PSA for abstinence around, David Robert Mitchell’s It Follows tells the story of a young woman named Jay (Maika Monroe), and the supernatural entity that threatens her life after having sex with the man she is dating.

Following an evening of passion–I mean seriously, the dilapidated building Hugh (Jake Weary) parks his car by is the epitome of romance–Jay is informed that an entity will follow her until it kills her. In order to “avoid” the inevitable, Jay needs to have sex with some one else and hope it continues being passed on like a fatal game of telephone. Hugh makes it abundantly clear that she needs to pass it along, because once it kills her it is coming for him next. Be still my heart.

A large portion of the movie follows Jay and her friend’s attempts at outrunning the entity, knowing that all along it is slowly, yet surely, following them. It Follows builds the suspense with the looming fear and knowledge that there is likely only one way out. Death. A lack of backstory on this entity only makes it that much more unnerving, as the group tries to gain some type of understanding before it is too late.

Visually the movie is also quite eerie–following the characters from behind is a recurring camera angle choice. You might find yourself constantly looking for “it” in the backdrop of scenes that show the group together discussing their next move, and you’d likely be right in presuming it is there. The only moments of hope and solace are when Jay does decide to have sex with other characters in the movie. Yet even then, you know it is only a matter of time.

It Follows
2014
dir. David Robert Mitchell
97 min.

Screens Thursday, 9/15, 9:15pm @ Brattle Theatre
Part of the series: The Story of Film: A Sidebar