Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma
- Director: Jane Schoenbrun
- Writer: Jane Schoenbrun
- Producer: Daniel Bekerman, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Neil Mathieson, Jeffrey Penman, Brad Pitt, Amanda Verhagen-Drake, Christina Wood
CGiii Comment
If you thought Jane Schoenbrun's previous outing: I Saw the TV Glow was an exercise in preposterous patience, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma takes 'her' self-indulgence to an astronomical new level. Backed by MUBI and Plan B Entertainment [Brad Pitt] [shame on you], this film attempts to mask its obvious lack of narrative competence under the guise of an "intellectual queer critique" of 1980s slasher tropes and transphobic horror legacies. Instead, it delivers two hours of absolute sub-standard shite.
Hannah Einbinder stars as Kris, a pretentious director trying to revive a dead movie franchise while entering a bizarre, hallucinogenic romance with the original star, played by a totally wasted Gillian Anderson [what were you thinking!].
Rather than giving audiences an actual horror movie with real tension, suspense, or satisfying pacing, Schoenbrun prefers to drown the screen in neon lighting, throw in random covers of Counting Crows, and drag out scenes to an agonizing crawl.
The film relies entirely on ridiculous amounts of the 'Old Faithful' spewing of fake blood...and, monotonously, identity buzzwords to win over festival critics, completely ignoring the casual viewer. It’s an empty, frustrating meta-mess that trades basic filmmaking craft for a self-righteous sermon. The emperor has no clothes, and this camp is a total and unequivocal disaster.
"A filmmaker, an intellectual" - nope, neither. But, a rather brilliant fraudster...in more ways than one!
AI clashes with Twin Peaks...doom!
Trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
A queer filmmaker is hired to direct a new installment of a long-running slasher franchise. The director fixates on the prospect of casting the 'final girl' from the original movie, and the two women descend into a frenzy of psychosexual mania.
Cast & Characters
Hannah Einbinder ... Kris
Gillian Anderson ... Billy
Patrick Fischler ... Rudolph
Jack Haven ... Little Death
Sarah Sherman ... Kris' Agent
Dylan Baker ... Jeffrey
Zach Cherry ... Will
Jasmin Savoy Brown ... Mari
Eva Victor ... DJ Ella Giastic
Jess McLeod ... Tracy
Kevin McDonald ... Anthony / Country Sheriff
Quintessa Swindell ... Julie
Amanda Fix ... Young Billy
Arthur Conti ... Alex
Jordana Summer ... Doomed Teen Girl
William Vaughan ... Squash Bro (as William C. Vaughan)
Hunter Dillon ... Chuck
Aren Buchholz ... Thor
Louise Weard ... Queer Assistant
Cassandra Ebner ... Doomed Wife
Ryan McEwen ... Doomed Teen Boy
Willy McGee ... Male Executive
Trevor Addie ... Doomed Husband
Florence Barrett ... Flo
Nikki Bryce ... Cafe Owner