I admit, I really enjoyed Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw The TV Glow—a piece not only about identity, but one that had multiple valid interpretations depending on how you watched it, be it the personal one or simply about not letting nostalgia and fiction consume you. That left me also keen to try out Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma—throwing back now to 80s slasher horror films, and going more specific with its LGBT themes—how does it turn out and compare?
Hannah Einbinder is young director Kris, tasked with rebooting the dormant Camp Miasma slasher series, which totally isn’t something that rhymes with Schmiday The Schmirteenth (though it pointedly also draws from Sleepaway Camp, mentioned by name here), involving a cube-headed serial killer. One whose backstory coalesces about as many dated attitudes as the worst corners of Reddit.
There’s discussion here about Hollywood using in this case queer directors as a shield for when it comes to bringing back things some might consider problematic or whatnot, but here Kris is certainly eager, and decides to track down the reclusive former star Billy, played by Gillian Anderson (most famous for X-Files of course, another thing which is supposedly getting another reboot…again).
Despite their differences in generation and some attitudes, both end up forming a connection—as we delve into themes of disconnection and sexual discovery, all framed around pretty well done recreations of a low-budget eighties horror. Now, compared to TV Glow, things feel both much more specific yet also down to interpretation—this is not a film where anything is really spelt out, even at the very end. While I found the writing in the prior film more focused, this one still remains more personal, and in that sense, some might find it more interesting for sure.
That extends to one of the highlights as Kris struggles with uncaring agents and douchsnozzle producers—that’s sure personal enough, and provides one of the funnier scenes here. If nothing else, the final climax where things go full Jason is definitely something for the laughs, and Schoenbrun sure as hell was both having fun and some catharsis here.
It’s certainly not going to be for everyone, and it’s possible a couple things flew over my head, but for me putting down sincere expression is always worth it, and that’s something Camp Miasma goes full bore on.
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