Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma 2026 Movie Review
My favorite thing about this movie is that it feels like it’s primarily a movie about a filmmaker who didn’t know what to make a movie about when it came time to make their next movie so they made a movie about a filmmaker who is remaking a movie which is based on an actual movie (and a few other actual movies) that meant a lot to them when they were growing up, and not quite knowing what to do with that movie. And, the strongest element of the entire experience is all of the jokes about all of these layers and how all of these things connect. So, basically, it is the most META thing you will see come out this year, by far – I guarantee it.
As someone who also grew up watching 80’s horror films at probably much too young of an age (just as the protagonist discusses in the movie), all of the blatant homage to films like Friday the 13th, Sleepaway Camp, Nightmare on Elm Street, Videodrome, and more, were welcomed with huge smiles. All the homage was done so tastefully and with a lot of talent behind it. Visually and aesthetically, this movie is just a ton of fun – from unpredictable cinematography and editing, to ambitious set pieces and special effects. Even the opening credits were a blast.
This is by far Jane Schoenbrun’s funniest film thus far. I would, in fact, call it their ONLY funny film so far. Casting Hannah Einbinder as the lead (known as the lead in the relatively new series HACKS) was a BRILLIANT choice, I must say – what a wholly subtle, relatable, and lovable actress who channels easily digestible humor in a way that not many others are capable of at the moment. In the 2nd half, she gets a chance to showcase a lot more than that too – some serious emotive intensity, and she does it with flying colors. It was just nice to see Gillian Anderson on the screen again – while she did a great job with the material, I wasn’t especially taken by her character or performance. On that note, and it’s not Gillian Anderson’s fault, but I thought the only real weak point of this film, other than it being so loose conceptually, was that much of the dialogue sequences between Anderson and Einbinder were a bit bloated, thus making the entire movie feel just a bit over-long.
Am I the only one who recognized Eva Victor (the genius who made last year’s incredible SORRY, BABY) as the air-headed punk rock gal with the liberty spikes (who I get the feeling was a direct homage to the iconic Jennifer Rubin in Nightmare on Elm Street 3)? I was like “is that…?”, and I was never quite sure, until I observed the end credits…so cool!
As you get into the second half of the film, Schoenbrun is able to instill the somewhat expected dose of metaphorical allegory relating to struggles with sexual identity, and as with their last film, it is done with a heartfelt, unique, and impressively effective flair. Though the darkly comedic bits are the films greatest strength, the movie is able to weave into a more emotive zone that approaches profundity in it’s latter segments and it works well. As expected, the movie will also have you walking out feeling the need to discuss what you just ingested with someone else of a certain intelligence level (unless you have bad taste, then you might walk out halfway through like the annoying group sitting behind us who wouldn’t stop talking or rustling bags the entire time they were there).
In my opinion, this is another extremely admirable offering from the visionary Jane Schoenbrun – a filmmaker you can count on for repetitively bringing you something that not only feels of its era, but also something unlike anything you’ve ever seen, and something that has enough viscera to also stand the test of time.
