Jane Schoenbrun releases queer slasher ‘Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma’

Jane Schoenbrun’s third feature film, ‘Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma’, is receiving widespread critical attention following its release. The film, which won the Queer Palm at the Cannes Film Festival, serves as a surrealist, queer-coded homage to 1980s slasher tropes while subverting them through a metatextual lens.

The plot follows Kris (Hannah Einbinder), a young filmmaker attempting to reboot a fictional, legacy horror franchise called ‘Camp Miasma’. To do so, she seeks out Billy Presley (Gillian Anderson), the reclusive ‘final girl’ from the original film. As the two women connect, the narrative explores themes of identity, desire, and the way media obsessions shape personal psyches.

Critics have highlighted the film’s ability to blend horror, comedy, and eroticism, noting its sophisticated use of genre rituals. The production is noted for its meticulous attention to the aesthetics of the slasher genre, including references to classic films like ‘Friday the 13th’ and ‘Psycho’, while providing a contemporary, non-binary perspective on the horror archetype.