It Follows paints a disturbing picture of teens’ initiation into sexuality. Suburban teen Jay learns that her date Hugh has passed on a curse to her through sex. We explain the ending of It Follows and discuss how the movie updates slashers like Halloween to dramatize the anxieties of contemporary teen sex and the fear of STDs. Sex in this film is not loving or fun—it’s a trauma one person inflicts on another, a way of passing on a burden.