by Henry Pham
Mistaken for an A24 production due to its low budget and the way it was shot, it’s a movie distributed by MUBI. Oscar-winning producers Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner (12 Years a Slave, Moonlight) have teamed up with director Jane Schoenbrun to create a film about the makings of a slasher film. Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma follows a queer filmmaker who is hired to direct a new installment of the long-running fictitious slasher franchise, Camp Miasma, after years of flopping sequels and waning fandom. The director becomes fixated on the prospect of casting the reclusive actress who played the final girl in the original film. As the two women begin to work together, however, they descend into a frenzy of psychosexual mania.
Emmy winner Hannah Einbinder (HBO Max’s Hacks) stars as Kris, a young queer filmmaker hired to direct a reboot of the fictitious Camp Miasma franchise. Golden Globe winner Gillian Anderson (Fox’s The X-Files) appears as Billy Presley, a reclusive former actress and the original Camp Miasma’s final girl, whom Kris casts and develops feelings for. Einbinder and Anderson form a compelling duo, with Einbinder delivering a standout performance that blends horror and drama. Their convincing portrayals engage the audience throughout. Jack Haven (A24’s I Saw the TV Glow) also stars as Little Death, the vengeful ghost and main antagonist of the Camp Miasma franchise.
With Brad Pitt as executive producer, Jane Schoenbrun, director of A24’s I Saw the TV Glow, writes and directs the film. The film elevates the slasher genre by combining suspenseful, entertaining moments with perfect graphics on the blood scenes and genuine emotional depth in the scenes where the lead actresses reflect on their collaboration. The use of 35mm film effectively evokes the atmosphere of the 1980s and 1990s. Early scenes from the fictional Camp Miasma franchise highlight Hollywood’s ongoing trend of revisiting established properties. The ending left me satisfied, while the references to other slasher franchises, such as Halloween and Scream, are admirable.
I discovered that this film has received positive reviews from critics, which I was skeptical about as I thought this slasher film would be terrible and would flop. It is actually pretty good, thanks to the screenplay, direction, performances, and the filmmaking team bringing originality to this concept. With the film running about 112 minutes, Director Jane Schoenbrun brings a new kind of slasher in Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma. I know slasher films are not my thing, but this one has won me over and is a must-watch. If you like slasher films, you should go out and watch this.
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