We kicked off the new year with a horror film that hit us harder than we expected. Meaghan and Arthur got the chance to screen The Plague, a chilling feature debut from Charlie Pollinger, and it didn’t just rattle our nerves; it stirred up memories most of us would rather leave buried.
Set in the all-too-familiar chaos of early adolescence, the movie explores the cruelty of peer dynamics at a boys’ water polo camp, layered with a psychological edge that had us squirming in our seats. It felt both nostalgic and deeply unsettling, a reminder of how brutal kids can be when they’re all trying to survive the social jungle of puberty.
The film had already gained serious traction at festivals before its wider release, with accolades from Cannes, Fantastic Fest, AFI Fest, and more. It’s clear this one had critics buzzing, and after watching the screener provided by IFC ourselves, we totally get why.
The Premise That Hits Too Close to Home
At its core, The Plague is about Ben, a socially anxious tween who has just moved across the country and is now attending a sleepaway water polo camp. We’ve all been the new kid at some point, maybe not at a sports camp, but the feeling of walking into a tight-knit group where you’re instantly the outsider? That hits deep.
Things get twisted when we learn about a cruel tradition the boys at camp call “the plague.” Every new session, they pick one unlucky kid (or does the kid actually get infected?) and declare him infected. No one is allowed to touch him, and if they do, they have to scrub themselves raw to avoid “catching it.”
It’s all disguised as a joke or prank, but let’s be real, it’s bullying. Pure, isolating, psychologically scarring bullying, and it’s based on Polinger’s real childhood experience. That’s part of what makes it so disturbing.
The film unfolds almost entirely from Ben’s point of view. That perspective is important because it adds a layer of ambiguity to everything we see.
Are events playing out the way Ben perceives, or is his anxiety skewing the narrative? As viewers, we’re trapped inside his head, and it’s not a fun place to be. It’s tense, claustrophobic, and riddled with uncertainty.
That’s what makes the horror feel so personal. It’s not about jump scares or monsters; it’s about being a kid and feeling like the world is conspiring against you.
Everything Works: The Music, the Dialogue, the Casting
Let’s talk about what worked, because wow, a lot did. First up, the score. Meaghan and Arthur couldn’t stop talking about it, and we’re right there with them.
The composer, Johan Lenox, along with sound designer Damian Volpe, didn’t just layer music over scenes; they created an atmosphere that amplified the tension. It was subtle, almost ghostly, with vocal elements that sounded like a haunted children’s choir. It wasn’t flashy, but it was deeply affecting.
Every time the music kicked in, it felt like it was warning us: “You’re about to feel something awful.”
Then there’s the dialogue. We have to give major credit to Charlie Polinger for writing dialogue that actually sounds like how 13-year-old boys talk. So often in movies, teen dialogue feels like it was written by someone who hasn’t interacted with a teenager in decades.
But here? It’s chaotic, funny, mean, and sometimes just plain nonsense, exactly how real kids talk when they’re hyped up and trying to impress each other. The jokes are dumb, half the conversation is random noises and shouted words, and all of it feels authentic. We wouldn’t be surprised if Polinger let the actors improv a bit. It feels that natural.
And oh boy, the casting. This is not one of those movies where 20-year-olds are pretending to be middle schoolers. These are actual tweens and early teens, and it shows. The performances are raw in the best way.
Everett Blunck, who plays Ben, carries the movie with this quiet vulnerability that makes you ache for him. Kenny Rasmussen plays Eli, the current “plague” victim, and he’s pitch-perfect as the awkward kid everyone avoids. He makes you uncomfortable, but also breaks your heart.
Even the bully, played by Kayo Martin, is disturbingly realistic. He’s not over-the-top evil, just a classic middle school asshole, the kind of kid who’s mean because it gets laughs and secures his spot at the top of the social food chain. You hate him, but you also know him. There’s always one like him.
Joel Edgerton pops in as the only adult with real screen time, playing the coach known as “Daddy Wags.” He’s good, of course, but this movie belongs to the kids. And honestly? They carry it better than a lot of seasoned actors could.
Themes That Sting with Familiarity
What makes The Plague such an uncomfortable watch isn’t just the bullying or the awkwardness of puberty; it’s the truth behind it all. This is a movie that understands what it means to be twelve and trapped in a body that doesn’t feel like yours.
The rash that marks Eli, and possibly Ben, becomes a stand-in for all the messy, confusing changes that hit you like a freight train during adolescence. You’re itchy, moody, hormonal, and trying desperately not to let anyone see how scared you are.
Meaghan brought up how we’ve seen these themes explored in horror before, like in Carrie, but it’s rare to see them from the perspective of boys. There’s this unspoken rule that boys aren’t supposed to be vulnerable, especially during puberty.
They’re expected to suck it up, play sports, and talk about girls as they’ve already slept with half the class. This movie tears that idea apart. Ben is soft, confused, and anxious, and so are the other boys, even if they won’t admit it. The bravado is just a shield.
Arthur nailed it when he said the whole film plays like a descent into madness, but in the most relatable way. Ben doesn’t lose his mind in a cinematic way; he just spirals. He wants to help Eli but also wants to fit in. He’s trying to be kind and ends up being cruel. He’s terrified of catching the “plague,” but maybe he already has. That ambiguity messes with your head and sticks with you long after the credits roll.
A Perfect Start to the Year, A Promising New Voice in Horror
So where does this leave us? With a film that’s raw, real, and surprisingly profound. We’ve seen body horror used to explore female adolescence before, but The Plague does it from a male perspective, and that alone makes it feel fresh. It’s not trying to be flashy. It’s not trying to shock you with gore or cheap scares. It’s trying to make you feel something, and it succeeds.
Charlie Polinger has officially put himself on the map. This might be his first feature, but it doesn’t feel like a debut. It feels like a fully-formed statement. And what he’s saying is worth listening to. He’s already working on his next project, The Masque of the Red Death, and after this, we’re all in.
We said it on the show, but it bears repeating here: if The Plague is playing anywhere near you, go see it. And if it’s not, keep an eye out for it on streaming. We’re hoping IFC makes it widely available soon, because this is the kind of movie that deserves to be seen and talked about.