Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma – A Bold, Sexy, Joyfully Subversive Triumph from Jane Schoenbrun.
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma is Jane Schoenbrun’s most daring and exuberant film to date — a slasher satire that blends queer desire, pop‑cultural self‑discovery, and genre‑bending playfulness into a hypnotic, deeply personal experience. It’s a work that feels like a culmination of their “screen trilogy,” merging the dreamy experimentation of We’re All Going to the World’s Fair with the confidence and emotional clarity of I Saw the TV Glow.
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A Filmmaker in Search of Herself
The story follows Kris (Hannah Einbinder), a young queer filmmaker whose Sundance breakout — a bizarre reimagining of Psycho from the shower curtain’s point of view — earns her the chance to reboot the long‑dead Camp Miasma franchise. Determined to bring back the original final girl, she travels from New York to the icy Pacific Northwest to convince Billy Presley (Gillian Anderson) to return to the role that once defined her.
Billy, now living in isolation on the grounds of the original filming location, has long rejected the franchise’s increasingly trashy sequels. She spends her days painting Rothko‑like portraits of the killer “Little Death,” and when Kris arrives, she welcomes her with a mix of seduction, nostalgia, and creative intensity. When Kris insists this is a work meeting, Billy replies, “We’re already working.” It’s the perfect encapsulation of the film’s tone — playful, sensual, and charged with meaning.
It's only a movie. Right?
Surrender to CAMP MIASMA starting August 7. pic.twitter.com/1sGfIITvEg
— Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (@CampMiasmaFilm) July 16, 2026
Fear, Desire, and the Horror That Shapes Us
As the two women rewatch the first Camp Miasma, Kris realizes why Billy’s character resonated so deeply with her: something in Billy’s eyes mirrored her own unspoken desires. Schoenbrun uses this relationship to explore how horror becomes a mirror — a place where fear and arousal intertwine, where identity reveals itself through what disturbs and excites us.
The film engages with themes of gender and transness, but its emotional core lies in discovering yourself through pop culture, especially the forbidden, late‑night horror movies that shape so many young fans. Kris’s gradual acceptance of her desires feels universal, making the film surprisingly accessible despite its layered ideas and genre‑bending tricks.
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Schoenbrun’s Warmest, Funniest Film Yet
What’s most surprising is the tone. Schoenbrun, known for eerie introspection, delivers a film bursting with joy, humor, and playfulness:
- A chaotic Zoom call spirals into a surreal meltdown.
- A sensual KFC dinner redefines the meaning of dipping sauces.
- Little Death’s kills are accompanied by unexpected needle‑drops.
- Gillian Anderson sings along to a song you’ll never guess, while Einbinder sprints through the woods in her underwear.
It’s outrageous, sexy, and delightfully subversive — yet unmistakably Schoenbrun.
Hannah Einbinder Steals the Film
Einbinder gives a career‑best performance as Kris: awkward, lovable, and emotionally complex. She’s a 29‑year‑old who prefers gas‑station gummies (we are, she insists, living in “the golden age of gummies”) and matching pink silk pajamas over sex — or so she believes. Her Bound‑inspired tattoo and polyamorous relationship add texture to a character who feels both deeply specific and instantly relatable.
A Slasher That Stays With You
Like the forbidden horror films we watched too young, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma lingers long after the credits. It’s funny, sexy, and defiantly queer — a masterpiece that understands why we return to slashers: because they let us confront the parts of ourselves we’re afraid to name.
The film premiered at Fantasia and will hit theaters via MUBI on August 7, 2026.
