Following her breakout film from 2024, "I Saw the TV Glow," writer-director Jane Schoenbrun is back with what I feel is the sexiest movie of the year, "Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma."
The film stars Hannah Einbinder as Kris Williams, an up-and-coming filmmaker who got a shot at making a reboot of "Camp Miasma," a "Friday the 13th"-esque horror slasher franchise she grew up loving. As part of the research for her film project, she went to the same location where the original films were shot to meet and interview Billy Presley (Gillian Anderson), the final surviving girl from the first film.
Kris wants to approach her version of "Camp Miasma" as a film driven by the deeply academic meaning that she deems is what made the franchise what it was, to the dismay and confusion of her studio executives, of course, who perceive the project only as an easy consumer product to churn out more profits.
"Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma" is a satirical observation of the industry's quest for both meaning and non-meaning, and of how film taps into our desire down to its carnal roots more than any other medium.
It is sexy, not because of the intimate scenes that erupted into the biggest cheers at my screening, but because of how inviting its vision was. I can't guarantee that I understand all of it, nor am I certain that my interpretation of the movie is right, but Schoenbrun's film made me feel that my takeaway is valid.
The two leads, Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson, were great. Honestly, I'm always in for a film or television series where Einbinder fulfils her mission of creating another "Hacks" dynamic, where she gets paired with a veteran.
The ending of "Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma" is a make-or-break scene for its viewers. I honestly adored every single bit of its surrealism. My advice to anyone seeing it for the first time is just to enjoy the ride, as there's simply nothing like it showing in cinemas right now.
Rating: “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma” gets ★★★⯪☆
“Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma” is now showing in New Zealand cinemas.
Featured images from Madman Entertainment.
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