This is one of those movies that it's best to go into cold. All I knew about this is that a woman contracts an unknown sexually transmitted disease (STD) and that something horrific happens to her as a result. As the transmission happens within the first ten minutes, I had no idea what to expect as the movie played on. Watching the journey that the lead character Samantha (Najarra Townsend) goes on in the days following her infection is highly disturbing because we spend the whole movie with her and do not know any more than she does about what is happening. We are not privy to scientific explanations nor are we given any back story on what the disease is or what it is going to do to her. We simply watch helplessly as Samantha slowly succumbs to the symptoms and experiences an ugly transformation that gets worse by the hour. The trauma of the experience and the lack of answers takes their toll both physically and mentally while, as a viewer, we can only watch helplessly as things go from bad to worse. The result is very effective and engaging and I found myself glued to the screen throughout the scant running time.

Samantha is a fairly regular young woman who is going through a confusing period of her life romantically after recently being involved in a lesbian relationship with a somewhat unpleasant woman named Nikki (Katie Stegeman). Their relationship is in trouble and, while at her friend Alice's party, Samantha is roofied by a creep named BJ. Unbeknownst to her, BJ recently had sex with a corpse that was wearing a biohazard toetag. The next morning, Samantha feels like crap and soon finds herself bleeding profusely. She assumes it's her period. It's not. The next day, Samantha experiences even more changes happening as her eyes become bloodshot, she begins to have problems with her teeth, and she gradually becomes sicker. She is unable to perform her job as a waitress and she also has to deal with the unsympathetic demeanour of Nikki who becomes more detestable as Samantha becomes more desperate. On the third day of Nikki's infection, the symptoms become more pronounced and Samantha rapidly deteriorates both mentally and physically until things culminate in an ending that is frantic and downbeat and left me stunned as the credits rolled.

My first reaction is that this should be a high school scare film against promiscuity but the reality is that Samantha was not being promiscuous at all but was drugged and raped by BJ, the sociopath at the party. This sequence is very disturbing because it is shown in a matter-of-fact manner and there is no real reaction by anybody (including Samantha) to the fact that she was essentially raped in the back seat of a car. To make matters worse, Samantha has also had a troubled past leading her mother (Caroline Williams - Stretch from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2) to believe that she is relapsing into either drug or alcohol abuse and there is little sympathy given to the identity crisis that Samantha seems to be having. Although Samantha has a small circle of friends around and her mother, there is nobody to support her as people are either passing judgement or trying to get something from her. Actress Najarra Townsend does an excellent job conveying the resulting feelings of loneliness, confusion, and desperation that the character is experiencing.

Director Eric England has provided a unique take on a genre where it seems like everything has already been done and for that he should be applauded. Although this is not a perfect film, it is completely engaging and does not overstay its welcome. Some may criticize the plethora of unanswered questions that are presented and the ambiguous ending but if you just go along for the ride, you won't have time to question much until reflecting on the film afterwards. Even then, it is pretty straightforward as to what happened and why and the details seem somewhat irrelevant. England is a unique storyteller and someone to watch as he gains more experience. Mumblecore fans should note that BJ is played by Simon Barrett who has written and produced a number of Adam Wingard's films including You're Next. (Josh Pasnak, 2/2/15)

Directed By: Eric England.
Written By: Eric England.

Starring: Najarra Townsend, Caroline Williams, Alice Macdonald, Katie Stegeman.