TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA

TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA may not be for everyone, but I loved it. The film, which stars Hannah Einbinder (HACKS) and Gillian Anderson (THE X-FILES, THE CROWN) and is directed by Jane Schoenbrun (I SAW THE TV GLOW), achieves the rare feat of feeling truly unique. I love a movie that requires its viewers to suspend their disbelief, and once I stopped worrying about understanding and analyzing while watching, I was pulled into the world that Schoenbrun had created.

Although I still haven’t finished HACKS (I recently started over in an effort to experience it in its entirety), Hannah Einbinder shines in her role in that show. In some ways, Einbinder doesn’t stretch too far from her role as Ava in HACKS; in CAMP MIASMA she plays an up-and-coming director, instead of an up-and-coming writer, and carries over some of her mannerisms from the series. But she’s such a talented and compelling actor that it doesn’t detract from the film. Her and Gillian Anderson were a dynamic on-screen pairing, and both of their performances ultimately carried the film. Casting a comedian in this role ended up balancing some of the more off-putting aspects of CAMP MIASMA.

This movie is surreal; it felt like a more comedic, lighter counterpart to Jane Schoenbrun’s previous film, I SAW THE TV GLOW. In my review of that movie, I mentioned a few things that stay true in this film:

“I SAW THE TV GLOW might seem like a horror movie due to its constant tension, it doesn’t strictly fit into that genre.” The exact same can be said of TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA.

“The world-building is impressive and intentional; the terror in this movie comes from the oddness of Schoenbrun’s universe.” Again, the story of MIASMA was unlike anything I’ve seen before, and although tonally similar, was significantly different from TV GLOW.

“I SAW THE TV GLOW…is a visually stunning and vividly atmospheric film“. I loved the way CAMP MIASMA looked and felt. There was a beautiful use of hand painted backgrounds that brought so much warmth and depth to some scenes, while leaning into the surrealism of the film.

TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA may be a little bit weird and a little bit off-putting, but thanks to Jane Schoenbrun’s creative vision and a great cast, I enjoyed it. I’m excited to see what Schoenbrun does next.

TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA is now available to rent or buy wherever you get your movies. I saw it during it’s theatrtical run