Many a masterful adult movie has been made about ceding control to another as the ultimate way to gain power over one’s own sexuality. Here director David Lord offers a twist on that notion—well, two twists, actually. One’s an almost turn-of-the-knife corkscrew at the end, but that won’t be revealed here. The other is that Lord presents an entire storyline with just a handful of spoken words.

Other various communiques allow the story to unfold, including texts and email, with rich visual stimulation provided by scenes of L.A.’s downtown skyline and its rushing streets and freeways. The main character, Julie (Jessica Drake), begins her erotic journey on a hook-up site, perusing posts from a diaper lover and a furry fan before lingering over a post from Derrick (Derrick Pierce), who asks, “Want to Play?”

And so the textual advances begin. They meet at a local bar and the camera watches from a distance, unable to record their flirtation, but it moves in plenty close when Julie and Derrick make out in the bathroom. Cut to a shot of Julie perched on a counter, her legs bent back to provide a tight shot of Derrick lavishing oral attention on her clit. The views are just as good for the blowjob and fucking (especially in reverse cowgirl). Derrick strips down, showing off his tattooed torso, while Julie keeps her clothes on, which gives her some semblance of control while having sex in a public place. And it’s that control she’ll have to give up to take things further.

When she texts, “What’s next?” he shoots back: “I have only one rule. I can never be denied, or it ends.”

Julie stays true to her word as Derrick takes her through three different fantasies, each increasingly elaborate. He sends her to a parking lot, and then instructs her to fuck the first man she sees. (Fortunately for her, it’s a buffed-out Marcus London.) After that, Julie texts, “It’s insane, but I feel everything ... anger, lust. I feel scared. I feel torn apart and somehow whole.” Next it’s Julie’s turn to watch, as she walks into a hotel room to find Derrick pumping hard into a moaning Romi Rain.

Then comes the biggest scene of the movie—a tour de force in voyeuristic sex. Derrick brings Julie to a dirt parking lot and blindfolds her with a large swatch of white fabric. Dressed in a white shirt and black miniskirt, Julie walks demurely to the center of a ring of cars, with headlights trained on her. One by one, Eric Masterson, Mr. Pete and Steven St. Croix begin to grope the blindfolded blonde. As the action gets hotter, the camera cuts to the passengers in the cars, each intent on watching every move. The three men work Julie’s holes, making her airtight during a brief double penetration before coating her in spunk. Derrick emerges at the end to remove her blindfold and take a final blowjob.

The aforementioned scene is enough on its own to reward even a jaded porn aficionado, but taken as a whole Casual Encounters reaches another level where it can be enjoyed by those who demand more emotional context in their adult entertainment. It’s a movie that won’t be forgotten when awards season rolls around.