{"id":31698,"date":"2026-08-08T00:56:36","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T19:56:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=31698"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:56:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T19:56:36","slug":"teenage-sex-death-at-camp-miasma-will-blow-your-mind-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=31698","title":{"rendered":"Teenage Sex &#038; Death at Camp Miasma Will Blow Your Mind: Review"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-id=\"1616718\" data-title=\"Gillian Anderson Makes Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma a Delicious Mindfuck: Review\" data-url=\"https:\/\/consequence.net\/2026\/08\/teenage-sex-and-death-camp-miasma-review\/\" data-page=\"1\" data-pages=\"1\">\n<p>Writer\/director <a href=\"https:\/\/consequence.net\/tag\/jane-schoenbrun\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jane Schoenbrun<\/a> (a recent <a href=\"https:\/\/consequence.net\/video\/jane-schoenbrun-i-saw-the-tv-glow-filmmaker\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Consequence <\/em>Filmmaker of the Year<\/a>) doesn\u2019t make movies that are easy to unlock, in a way that genuinely seems to be the point. <i>I Saw the TV Glow<\/i>, their acclaimed blend of pop culture homage and horror, never explicitly explains the central allegory, and their newest movie, <i>Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma<\/i>, is even more sprawling in its themes and ideas. However, thanks to locked-in, fully committed performances from stars <a href=\"https:\/\/consequence.net\/tag\/gillian-anderson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gillian Anderson<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/consequence.net\/tag\/hannah-einbinder\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hannah Einbinder<\/a>, it\u2019s a movie that makes <i>emotional<\/i> sense. It\u2019s even a bit of a love story, though who\u2019s in love with who \u2014 or what \u2014 is up in the air.<\/p>\n<p>Like many great modern mindfucks, the premise is relatively simple on the surface: Kris (Einbinder) is a 29-year-old indie filmmaker who\u2019s been given the cynical assignment of resurrecting the <i>Camp Miasma<\/i> horror franchise. (The studio wants a new \u201cwoke\u201d origin story. It\u2019s hard not to imagine Schoenbrun sitting in real-life development meetings where those words were said unironically.)<\/p>\n<p>For Kris, this is a dream opportunity for her to explore the feelings she felt when she saw the first movie in the franchise as a young girl. She\u2019s even managed to secure a meeting with the reclusive Billy (Anderson), who starred in the first <i>Miasma<\/i> and then stopped acting, despite offers to return for subsequent sequels.<\/p>\n<p>Related Video<\/p>\n<p>Meeting Billy isn\u2019t as easy as going to a local Starbucks, though \u2014 Kris instead has to travel to the remote summer camp where the first <i>Miasma<\/i> movie was filmed, a surreal snowy wonderland Billy has since purchased and transformed into her own private haven. Over the course of just a few days there, Kris unpacks a lifetime of sexual confusion and Billy faces the demons that led her to retreat from the world. Fried chicken and a <i>lot<\/i> of fake blood are involved.<\/p>\n<p>In some ways, <i>Camp Miasma<\/i> is less than subtle with its messaging \u2014 the iconic killer of the original franchise is a Freddy-esque figure known as <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/La_petite_mort\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Little Death<\/a>, after all. At one pivotal moment, Billy leans forward to explain what two things slasher movies are about, and you expect to hear a fragment of the title come out of her mouth: sex and death. Her actual answer, though, is \u201cflesh and fluids,\u201d an even better encapsulation of this movie\u2019s belief that those two primal feelings are more connected than we\u2019re perhaps comfortable admitting.<\/p>\n<p>Even when the movie stretches into more esoteric realms, it holds together thanks to its two lead performances. Anderson\u2019s flat-out remarkable in this, especially because playing Billy pushes her <i>way<\/i> out of her comfort zone. Across her film and TV work \u2014 not just <i>The X-Files<\/i>, but also <i>Sex Education<\/i>, <i>Tron: Ares<\/i>, <i>The Fall<\/i>, and <i>American Gods<\/i> \u2014 her performances have been defined by their poise and calm. Whether playing one of Hannibal Lecter\u2019s victims on <i>Hannibal<\/i> or Margaret Thatcher on <i>The Crown<\/i>, these were women who tended to hold back their emotions, always presenting a certain level of reserve.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1616725\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1616725\" src=\"https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-little-death-jack-haven.jpg?quality=80&amp;w=1024&amp;fit=1031%2C580&amp;strip=\" alt=\"Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma Review\" class=\"size-large wp-image-1616725\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-little-death-jack-haven.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-little-death-jack-haven.jpg?resize=150,84 150w, https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-little-death-jack-haven.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-little-death-jack-haven.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-little-death-jack-haven.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-little-death-jack-haven.jpg?resize=1031,580 1031w, https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-little-death-jack-haven.jpg?resize=590,332 590w, https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-little-death-jack-haven.jpg?resize=278,156 278w, https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-little-death-jack-haven.jpg?resize=173,97 173w, https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-little-death-jack-haven.jpg?resize=140,79 140w, https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-little-death-jack-haven.jpg?resize=198,111 198w, https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-little-death-jack-haven.jpg?resize=674,378 674w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1616725\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (MUBI)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>So it\u2019s downright thrilling to see Anderson fully unleashed here, goofy and dramatic and vulnerable and very, <i>very<\/i> funny. Just the meal she makes out of the words \u201cdipping sauce\u201d inspire thoughts about the way MUBI managed to push Demi Moore to an Oscar nomination for <i>The Substance<\/i>, as well as Amy Madigan\u2019s recent Oscar win for <i>Weapons<\/i>, another strange genre movie anchored by an iconic performance. Not that awards are the reason for the work, but it\u2019d be thrilling to see a performance this wild and unexpected receive that level of acclaim.<\/p>\n<p>Einbinder also manages to take a character that on the surface bears some strong similarities to her Emmy-winning role on HBO Max\u2019s <i>Hacks<\/i> and make it very different. Yes, she\u2019s once again playing a young writer with a fixation on an older woman. However, Kris is quieter than Ava, largely free of irony, and desperate to understand her own sexuality, forever warped by Schoenbrun\u2019s TV glow. Seeing what else Einbinder is capable of down the line is going to be a real treat.<\/p>\n<p>The scenes we see of <i>Camp Miasma<\/i> in the film (a perfect match for the 1980s horror genre) feature some standout performances, including Patrick Fischler as a creepy gas station attendant and Zach Cherry as one of the camp counselors who meets an untimely end. We don\u2019t see much of Jack Haven\u2019s face as Little Death, thanks to the mask, but physically they embody the character in fascinating ways throughout the film. And Little Death\u2019s kills, in the film within a film, are just over the top enough to delight.<\/p>\n<p>In terms of required viewing, the 1983 movie <i>Sleepaway Camp<\/i> has been mentioned frequently, but there\u2019s also a less obvious inspiration point. On July 28th, I somehow lucked into getting a ticket for a live read of the 2002 movie <i>Secretary<\/i>, put on by Film Independent and featuring Schoenbrun and <i>Camp Miasma<\/i> cast members.<\/p>\n<p>That night, Einbinder <i>transformed<\/i> herself into Maggie Gyllenhaal\u2019s character while Anderson matched James Spader\u2019s deliberate reserve (as mentioned above, it\u2019s in her wheelhouse). What the live read highlighted was how the relationship between those two characters was more symbiotic than one might remember \u2014 which only highlights the way Billy and Kris come to understand each other.<\/p>\n<p>Laying out all of <i>Camp Miasma<\/i>\u2019s best surprises feels like a crime, though there\u2019s a particularly deranged use of Counting Crows\u2019 \u201cLong December\u201d I can\u2019t keep myself from mentioning. This movie might need a few viewings to fully crack, but even the first time through, what stands out is the way it explores what it means to have a secret place inside you, one you can only unlock with the help of something unexpected. Like, say, 1980s horror movies. Or a movie about them.<\/p>\n<p><i>Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma<\/i> is in theaters now. Check out the latest trailer below.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA | Official Trailer | In Theaters August 7\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dimCiC_hdoA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n\t\t!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n\t\tn.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;\n\t\tn.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=1;\n\t\tt.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,\n\t\tdocument,'script','https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n\t\tfbq('init', '1753966171496536');\n\t\tfbq('set','agent','tmgoogletagmanager', '1753966171496536');\n\t\tfbq('track', \"PageView\");\n\t<\/script><script defer crossorigin=\"anonymous\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js#xfbml=1&#038;version=v7.0&#038;appId=434175690014\" nonce=\"6gwmbCtM\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Writer\/director Jane Schoenbrun (a recent Consequence Filmmaker of the Year) doesn\u2019t make movies that are easy to unlock, in a way that genuinely seems to be the point. I Saw the TV Glow, their acclaimed blend of pop culture homage and horror, never explicitly explains the central allegory, and their newest movie, Teenage Sex and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31699,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/consequence.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-hannah-einbinder-gillian-anderson.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsweek-trending"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31698","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=31698"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31698\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/31699"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=31698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=31698"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=31698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}