Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (2026)
Few filmmakers have dedicated their careers to making as personal statements as Jane Schoenbrun. Reflecting on their own personal journey through life, Schoenbrun has built a filmography that explores feelings of dysphoria and questions of identity in the modern world. However, while both We’re All Going to the World’s Fair and I Saw the TV Glow contain explicit depictions of despair and isolation, both features are ultimately agents of hope, declaring that there is light at the end of the tunnel that is never too far away to eventually reach. Schoenbrun is back once again, adding to her resume with Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma.
Similar to their previous films, Camp Miasma is an idiosyncratic feature that disregards the traditional narrative structure to blend fiction and reality together with an added metacontextual layer. The basic setup of the film sees indie film director Kris (Hannah Einbinder) travel deep into the woods to meet with aging actress Billy (Gillian Anderson), who was the final girl in the original Camp Miasma slasher. Kris has been hired to helm the new Camp Miasma remake, a project that she immediately jumps on due to her personal connection to the franchise despite her aware cynicism of why the Hollywood industry would give her the job. The pair meet in Billy's home, which happens to be the abandoned sleepaway camp used to film the first Camp Miasma feature, and discuss both the film and the impact its depiction of sex had on both of them. Of course, this is only scratching the surface of the world-building that Schoenbrun creates, with it being basically impossible to capture the full scope of the different realms of existence presented.
Because of this layered nature of her projects, Schoenbrun's works can sometimes feel inaccessible to some, especially on a first viewing. The director clearly understands this, oftentimes simplifying their grand vision into an easily digestible statement that is explicitly shared with the audience to act as a key to unraveling and understanding the project. For example, in I Saw the TV Glow, the camera focused on chalk drawings on the street, including the statement "there is still time", opening the door for all audiences to gather the film's hopeful message that it is never too late to choose authenticity in life. The films always have deeper context within them beyond this outer shell of messaging, but it ensures that the audience will be able to get the major takeaway that Schoenbrun is trying to share. While much of the humor and style of Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma feels like the most inviting film for general audiences that Schoenbrun has crafted, its inner workings feel more complex than ever for the filmmaker.
There is a lot going on underneath the surface of Camp Miasma. For fans of Schoenbrun's other features, there are immediately elements of the film that share a vision with both We’re All Going to the World’s Fair and I Saw the TV Glow. Schoenbrun once again is focusing on repression, with Kris existing as a human hidden within her work. Early on, as the pair share a KFC dinner, Billy asks Kris to describe herself. Billy goes on a long rant about her goals as an artist and her frustration trying to exist within a studio system that is solely focused on minimizing risks and playing it safe with remakes of known IP. Kris gets excited as she talks about her goals with the Camp Miasma remake, feeling like she can beat Hollywood at its own game by using a remake to explore something daring and substantial. As she finishes her speech, Billy reminds her that the question was for Kris to share about herself, not about her work. Kris apologizes and claims that she feels like she sometimes only exists in the context of her work, putting a shield between her and the complications of modern life. The details Kris shares shed a light on the messy compensating she has committed to. Kris shares that she has difficulty with sex, experiencing dissociation and discomfort. This is possibly why she has agreed to a polyamorous relationship despite her being less than thrilled at the arrangement. Kris has found a way to exist and feel like she is achieving a purpose, but clearly her deeper needs are being avoided.
This is where her relationship with Billy comes in. Largely thanks to Anderson's seductive command, Billy pulls Kris' desire and sexuality out. There is an intimacy and sensuality between the pair that is immediately felt. The film draws a line between the horror genre and sex, specifically both the grounded presence of sex, which is often a precursor to a character's death at the hands of the killer, and the more abstract reading of the male killer asserting his power through murder, literally penetrating the flesh of his victim with a phallic-shaped weapon. As the pair watch the original Camp Miasma film after dinner, it is clear that Billy has a strong reaction to the visual being seen as her character has sex for the first time. Later, Billy discusses this scene as if it were reality, talking about how gross and uncomfortable she felt losing her virginity to someone so awful. As the film plays, it becomes clear that this line between the sex on the screen and the sexual history of both Kris and Billy is more connected than it initially appears. When discussing the scene, Billy shares that she started to see it through the perspective of The Camp Miasma killer, Little Death (Jack Haven), as they creep into the room and impale the man on top of Billy. Both Billy and Kris share a feeling of sexual empowerment from the character of Little Death, not only developing a conversation on the psychosexual appeal of the horror genre, but also deepening the film's understanding of dissociation.
However, Schoenbrun doesn't allow her characters to sit hopeless in their trauma. Camp Miasma is another film from the director showing the hope for healing through connection and vulnerability. The film shows that in safe spaces with those who understand, it is possible to slowly open yourself up and find catharsis, whether via practical life improvements or orgasm. In a world of LGBTQ+ media that is so often defined by lingering ghosts and unfixable trauma, it is incredibly refreshing to see a filmmaker so dedicated to taking the practical insecurities and horrors of the modern human experience and reminding the audience of a healthy pathway forward. This reading of the film is flawed in the sense that it cannot capture everything brewing in the feature. Depending on where one looks, other worthy conversations exist such as the gender identity of Little Death, the portrayal of gender in slasher cinema, and the dangers of sexual portrayal in media. The film exists as a complex amusement park of ideas to get lost in, with new sections to explore on every rewatch. In a time where media is continually focused on dumbing itself down, it is refreshing to see work being created that is so strong in its array of expressions and layers, feeling worthwhile to discuss and dissect.
Camp Miasma is not only a worthy film in substance, but is also a great display of style. Schoenbrun is more playful than in the past, with dreamy composition and production design that turn the world which Billy and Kris inhabit into a colorful set of painted backdrops and exact camera shots. The film fully commits to a campy style, from extended dissolves to split diopter shots, both poking fun at slasher filmmaking and crafting its own unique visual language. The film also has plenty of fun poking fun at the slasher genre, with countless moments of parody directed at both the Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street franchises. It is clear that Schoenbrun loves this genre for all of its faults, and has a grand time celebrating its cultural impact. This is also the most aware Schoenbrun has been in discussing the film industry, obviously a new perspective the filmmaker has after the success of her previous works. Hollywood is a capitalistic system that only gives opportunity when it is beneficial for the bottom line. For diverse creatives, this is an increasingly difficult door to step through, with many opportunities coming directly as an easy way for studios to deal with problematic elements. Kris is aware of this, understanding she is only being given the keys to the Camp Miasma series so that the studio won't face backlash for using the IP due to its transphobic roots in the characterization of Little Death. Schoenbrun parodies Hollywood and the absurd fakeness, but also has a worthy understanding to share, specifically tied to the modern workings of the horror genre. This adds another layer of both entertainment and substance for the film to peel back.
In every way one could want, Jane Schoenbrun delivers again with Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma becoming one of the best films of the year. The film is insanely watchable and fun, but also packs a tremendous amount of meaning and reflection. Creating a vulnerable film looking at modern relationships with power and sex, the feature continues to highlight Schoenbrun's rise as a filmmaker as she continues to deliver some of the most daring yet emotionally poignant works out there.
Similar to their previous films, Camp Miasma is an idiosyncratic feature that disregards the traditional narrative structure to blend fiction and reality together with an added metacontextual layer. The basic setup of the film sees indie film director Kris (Hannah Einbinder) travel deep into the woods to meet with aging actress Billy (Gillian Anderson), who was the final girl in the original Camp Miasma slasher. Kris has been hired to helm the new Camp Miasma remake, a project that she immediately jumps on due to her personal connection to the franchise despite her aware cynicism of why the Hollywood industry would give her the job. The pair meet in Billy's home, which happens to be the abandoned sleepaway camp used to film the first Camp Miasma feature, and discuss both the film and the impact its depiction of sex had on both of them. Of course, this is only scratching the surface of the world-building that Schoenbrun creates, with it being basically impossible to capture the full scope of the different realms of existence presented.
Because of this layered nature of her projects, Schoenbrun's works can sometimes feel inaccessible to some, especially on a first viewing. The director clearly understands this, oftentimes simplifying their grand vision into an easily digestible statement that is explicitly shared with the audience to act as a key to unraveling and understanding the project. For example, in I Saw the TV Glow, the camera focused on chalk drawings on the street, including the statement "there is still time", opening the door for all audiences to gather the film's hopeful message that it is never too late to choose authenticity in life. The films always have deeper context within them beyond this outer shell of messaging, but it ensures that the audience will be able to get the major takeaway that Schoenbrun is trying to share. While much of the humor and style of Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma feels like the most inviting film for general audiences that Schoenbrun has crafted, its inner workings feel more complex than ever for the filmmaker.
There is a lot going on underneath the surface of Camp Miasma. For fans of Schoenbrun's other features, there are immediately elements of the film that share a vision with both We’re All Going to the World’s Fair and I Saw the TV Glow. Schoenbrun once again is focusing on repression, with Kris existing as a human hidden within her work. Early on, as the pair share a KFC dinner, Billy asks Kris to describe herself. Billy goes on a long rant about her goals as an artist and her frustration trying to exist within a studio system that is solely focused on minimizing risks and playing it safe with remakes of known IP. Kris gets excited as she talks about her goals with the Camp Miasma remake, feeling like she can beat Hollywood at its own game by using a remake to explore something daring and substantial. As she finishes her speech, Billy reminds her that the question was for Kris to share about herself, not about her work. Kris apologizes and claims that she feels like she sometimes only exists in the context of her work, putting a shield between her and the complications of modern life. The details Kris shares shed a light on the messy compensating she has committed to. Kris shares that she has difficulty with sex, experiencing dissociation and discomfort. This is possibly why she has agreed to a polyamorous relationship despite her being less than thrilled at the arrangement. Kris has found a way to exist and feel like she is achieving a purpose, but clearly her deeper needs are being avoided.
This is where her relationship with Billy comes in. Largely thanks to Anderson's seductive command, Billy pulls Kris' desire and sexuality out. There is an intimacy and sensuality between the pair that is immediately felt. The film draws a line between the horror genre and sex, specifically both the grounded presence of sex, which is often a precursor to a character's death at the hands of the killer, and the more abstract reading of the male killer asserting his power through murder, literally penetrating the flesh of his victim with a phallic-shaped weapon. As the pair watch the original Camp Miasma film after dinner, it is clear that Billy has a strong reaction to the visual being seen as her character has sex for the first time. Later, Billy discusses this scene as if it were reality, talking about how gross and uncomfortable she felt losing her virginity to someone so awful. As the film plays, it becomes clear that this line between the sex on the screen and the sexual history of both Kris and Billy is more connected than it initially appears. When discussing the scene, Billy shares that she started to see it through the perspective of The Camp Miasma killer, Little Death (Jack Haven), as they creep into the room and impale the man on top of Billy. Both Billy and Kris share a feeling of sexual empowerment from the character of Little Death, not only developing a conversation on the psychosexual appeal of the horror genre, but also deepening the film's understanding of dissociation.
However, Schoenbrun doesn't allow her characters to sit hopeless in their trauma. Camp Miasma is another film from the director showing the hope for healing through connection and vulnerability. The film shows that in safe spaces with those who understand, it is possible to slowly open yourself up and find catharsis, whether via practical life improvements or orgasm. In a world of LGBTQ+ media that is so often defined by lingering ghosts and unfixable trauma, it is incredibly refreshing to see a filmmaker so dedicated to taking the practical insecurities and horrors of the modern human experience and reminding the audience of a healthy pathway forward. This reading of the film is flawed in the sense that it cannot capture everything brewing in the feature. Depending on where one looks, other worthy conversations exist such as the gender identity of Little Death, the portrayal of gender in slasher cinema, and the dangers of sexual portrayal in media. The film exists as a complex amusement park of ideas to get lost in, with new sections to explore on every rewatch. In a time where media is continually focused on dumbing itself down, it is refreshing to see work being created that is so strong in its array of expressions and layers, feeling worthwhile to discuss and dissect.
Camp Miasma is not only a worthy film in substance, but is also a great display of style. Schoenbrun is more playful than in the past, with dreamy composition and production design that turn the world which Billy and Kris inhabit into a colorful set of painted backdrops and exact camera shots. The film fully commits to a campy style, from extended dissolves to split diopter shots, both poking fun at slasher filmmaking and crafting its own unique visual language. The film also has plenty of fun poking fun at the slasher genre, with countless moments of parody directed at both the Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street franchises. It is clear that Schoenbrun loves this genre for all of its faults, and has a grand time celebrating its cultural impact. This is also the most aware Schoenbrun has been in discussing the film industry, obviously a new perspective the filmmaker has after the success of her previous works. Hollywood is a capitalistic system that only gives opportunity when it is beneficial for the bottom line. For diverse creatives, this is an increasingly difficult door to step through, with many opportunities coming directly as an easy way for studios to deal with problematic elements. Kris is aware of this, understanding she is only being given the keys to the Camp Miasma series so that the studio won't face backlash for using the IP due to its transphobic roots in the characterization of Little Death. Schoenbrun parodies Hollywood and the absurd fakeness, but also has a worthy understanding to share, specifically tied to the modern workings of the horror genre. This adds another layer of both entertainment and substance for the film to peel back.
In every way one could want, Jane Schoenbrun delivers again with Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma becoming one of the best films of the year. The film is insanely watchable and fun, but also packs a tremendous amount of meaning and reflection. Creating a vulnerable film looking at modern relationships with power and sex, the feature continues to highlight Schoenbrun's rise as a filmmaker as she continues to deliver some of the most daring yet emotionally poignant works out there.