Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma

Writer/director Jane Schoenbrun’s first two films, especially I Saw the TV Glow, focus on identity with characters feeling trapped. Because of this, I appreciated the films but found them unpleasant to watch, which I believe was the point. It appears that Schoenbrun has moved on thematically a bit, as their new film, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, is about…a lot. But, most importantly, it’s a fun watch and re-watch. 

Miasma is about a “zombie IP” franchise akin to Friday the 13th being rebooted by queer filmmaker Kris (Hannah Einbinder), who thinks casting the reclusive star of the original film (Gillian Anderson) is the key to the success of the project. Beyond that, it’s about franchises, product placement, sexual awakening, Hollywood politics, slasher movies, etc. It’s a little all over the place, but the overall takeaway is a love letter to slasher films that also satirizes them but attempts to understand their allure. 

That exploration is what appealed to me the most. In the film, it’s tied to a sexual awakening as a character fantasizes about being both the victim and the perpetrator. And there’s a simplicity to that answer that unlocks the entire genre. Fans of slasher films aren’t scared of them (which is why I always find it annoying when fans complain about new movies not being “scary,” as I’ve already seen a few people comment about this film); how could they be? The genre is so overdone it’s impossible to make one that creates real fear. Instead, they lean into voyeurism by having portions (or whole films as in In a Violent Nature) take place from the killer’s perspective. These are films that encourage you to root for good kills, so it’s nice to have a film that asks why that is. 

As stated in the film, this might sound too “academic,” but I swear this film isn’t some visual essay on slasher movies. It’s primarily about Einbinder’s journey, but along the way we get slasher set pieces and great needle drops and biting, and often goofy, humor.

The humor is what works the most and least for me. I loved the product placement jokes (I imagine the “dipping sauces” scene will be a love it or hate it moment for most), but the ultraviolent moments with CG bloodshed were too silly for me. That is the point, I’m sure, but a giant CG blood geyser is going to take me out of a movie every time, whether it's ironic or not. 

Beyond that, it’s difficult to truly get into what I loved about this film without spoilers, so I’ll finish up with this: Einbinder and Anderson are great. And as a fan of Friday the 13th, I enjoyed all the Easter eggs and references to that and other classic series. The opening credits showcase the VHS copies of the franchise, and that’s who this movie is for: people who grew up watching and re-watching (and still do) slasher franchises. When I finished watching this the first time, I immediately watched it again. I can’t think of higher praise for a film like this, and for Schoenbrun, it has me very excited for where their career goes from here.

Random Thoughts (SPOILERS)

Once you accept that the whole movie is a movie, it becomes more enjoyable. At least it was for me. I know that sounds stupid: the movie is a movie. But what I mean is this is the movie Kris is talking about making, opening credits and all. There is no moment that takes place in the “real world.” Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s how I viewed the film, and that’s what unlocked my enjoyment of it.

At first, the KFC scene and all the candy felt too silly to me. But when you take into account that every second of this is the actual movie/reboot/reimagining/legacyquel, then it all adds up as simple product placement. How else to explain the cut to Starburst, Skittles, and Rolos at the beginning of the “dipping sauce” moment? 

It also serves as social commentary (because of course it does). We’re still a relatively repressed society sexually, but we’ve been corporately encouraged for decades to indulge in junk food. If we can accept so many types of gummies, then why can’t we accept multiple genders and sexualities and identities?

The hotel at the beginning is undergrowing a re-brand as a Hilton. The constant product placement is great, and I’m sure it worked out in a Ricky Bobby kind of way to help finance the film.

The look of Little Death is kind of brilliant. It’s silly and a little creepy at the same time. And a slasher taking on an air vent that one could conceivably be staring at from bed (which is where Schoenbrun has said the idea came from) is the perfect visual for a film largely about sex.

I dig all the intentionally obvious matte paintings throughout.

The opening credits are fantastic, especially as a slasher fan, noticing titles that are straight up taken from Friday the 13th. Even though Jason exists in this world, Camp Miasma also “took” Manhattan. At first, I found that a little lazy (the Miasma videogame is also very similar to the Jason NES game) because it doesn’t make sense that both franchises would do the exact same thing. But, overthinking things again (which this movie both encourages and discourages), it can be seen as funny that the studios became that artistically bankrupt. Or this is an alternate reality in which Miasma was so popular that it ended the Jason series, allowing Miasma to now make all those glorious missteps, like going to outer space.

An early sign that it’s the movie from the beginning is the snowball fight the kids are having at the gas station. First off, why the fuck are there a bunch of kids at this gas station? Second, and more importantly, since when do snowballs bounce?

I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but another thing I initially didn’t love was the recreation of the original film. There were little things off at first, like the appearance of an HD camera and the punk character seeming to be workshopping lines. And then the big swing happens with the “Long December” sequence with cuts back and forth between old school POV shots and pan outs to modern CG gore. But this, much like the Buffy-type show from I Saw the TV Glow, is about how the character sees the original film more than what the actual film was like. This is evident when the radio breaks and Kris snaps out of the experience; the film playing on the screen is nothing like what we just saw. It looks like shit and has an ‘80s slasher theme for the score. I still don’t like the CG gore, however, even though it’s intentionally cartoonish. 

“I start off the movie as myself.”

That Zoom call is so goddamned unbearable. The one fucking dude explaining the joke of Michael Myers and Mike Myers having the same name is great.

Not that I refer to this film ever, but if I ever do in the future, it will always and forever be “New Nightmare by fright master Wes Craven.”

So Little Death has to rewind the new tape, I guess. Kind of a dick move for it to show up like that. Is there a little fleshy rewinder machine down there in his weird Videodrome lair?

Good to see some of my favorite podcast guests (Zach Cherry and Sarah Sherman) show up to get murdered.

Was Dylan Baker only available for the Zoom call? I was hoping to see him get killed, too.

Nice to see Patrick Fischler and Kevin MacDonald in a post-credits scene.

I’m sure some people will dislike this for not being enough like a slasher movie or not making enough fun of slasher movies or not being focused enough. I get it, and I can't argue with anyone not enjoying this. But something resonated with me with this film, and I foresee myself revisiting many times in the future.

I feel like I’m missing a million things to write about here, but I have to stop at some point.