To horror fans, the scary movies that fill our souls also touch our hearts. It sounds really weird to people that don’t enjoy horror, but at least to me (and, I know, to many of us) horror has become a “love language.” The movies, the community, the comfort of the slashers we grew up with, the emotions that horror from our childhood evokes… it’s all part of the heart of horror.
I think writer/director Jane Schoenbrun knows exactly what I’m talking about. In fact, I think Schoenbrun absolutely must feel the same way, because they 100% nailed the emotional connection many of us feel when watching, discussing, or reading/writing about horror.
You know what I mean. I can’t describe it, but I know I felt it when I saw the A Nightmare On Elm Street house in person for the first time (it’s located at 1428 N. Genesee Avenue in Los Angeles, if you ever want to make the pilgrimage) and I burst into tears at the sight of it. I felt it when I watched Saw X in the theater and heard Tobin Bell’s deep, gravelly voice after so many years. I get the chills every time I see the opening credits of Halloween and John Carpenter’s famous score buzzes in my ears, or when I hear the “ch ch ch ch” that coincides with Jason Voorhee’s machete-wielding arrival.
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma understands…
Horror = Love.
Not many movies “get it,” but this one does. Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma has a simple premise: Kris, a young, queer filmmaker (Hannah Einbinder) is attempting to revive an old horror franchise that looks eerily similar to Friday the 13th. As she works to make the franchise her own, she goes back to where the films all began, seeking out the now-reclusive actor who played the Final Girl in the original Camp Miasma movie, Billy Presley (Gillian Anderson).
Kris thinks if she can get Billy on board with appearing in her new version of Camp Miasma, it will lend an authenticity to the movie and hit that nostalgia button for fans of the franchise. But Kris, driving through miles of a snow-driven Pacific Northwest landscape to get to Billy, gets way more than a cool cameo in her fledgling film. She doesn’t just find Billy. She finds herself. Her true self. The heart of herself. Through horror, and love.
I went into this movie with a bit of a bias. I absolutely adored Jane Schoenbrun’s stylish ode to coming of age and friendship set against a horrifying backdrop, I Saw the TV Glow (it was one of my top horror films of 2024). I knew I’d get a beautiful, rich, visually stunning movie, but I wasn’t prepared for how Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma tugged at my heart.
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma is (almost) indescribable!
There are many meta moments (Billy actually lives at the old camp where the original Camp Miasma was filmed), a bit of satire, completely surreal situations that feel like you stumbled into a David Lynch daydream, and over-the-top gore that had me giggling aloud (Jack Haven excels as the killer, Little Death). But what really stands out about this movie is the vulnerability of the performances. The chemistry between Gillian Anderson and Hannah Einbinder steams off the screen. I realized about halfway through the film I had a dumb smile on my face I couldn’t wipe off.
The sheer honesty, intimacy, and freedom of the dialogue and both actors’ performances combined with classic campy scenes manages to somehow elevate the story to more than art. Hearing Kris talk about how she felt watching horror as a child mirrored my own experiences as a ‘weird’ kid looking for a place to fit in, and finding that home in horror.
The dialogue is so well-written, the longing so well-captured, that I had the thought I have sometimes when watching something so brilliant; “Damn, I wish I’d written that.” The relationship that develops between Billy and Kris sends Kris on a journey of discovery and liberation, sharing her most intimate secrets with Billy and learning that she’s not alone, she’s not so strange, she’s sharing many of the struggles we all share. As reality and fiction begin to blur, liberation is imminent for both characters.
To be understood. To be heard. To be loved. And to somehow use horror as a vehicle to combat sexual shame, fear, and inadequacy in order to find out how to celebrate yourself for exactly who you are. Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma may not be for everyone. In fact, I know it’s not. Many viewers don’t want psychological drama or sexuality served up with their scares.
However, I don’t think there’s a more perfect way to uncover who you are than to go back to the movies that affected you during the most crucial, vulnerable, developmental time of your life: childhood.
When Kris dives into her own psyche to fully realize what she wants in a relationship, what she wants sexually, and why she hasn’t had her needs met, it’s a powerful revelation when she finds understanding in Billy (through horror, naturally.)
I’m so excited that movies like this exist.
In a world of reboots, sequels, and cookie-cutter fan service franchises, it’s exhilarating to sit in the theater and see something SO new and fresh that really strikes a nerve. As a strange, bookish kid who had a hard time fitting in, horror gave me a home, an identity, and true joy. As an adult, it’s given me community, comfort, friendship, and, yes, love.
Jane Schoenbrun brings something to the horror genre that’s completely new. They make movies for people who feel lost. People who feel like they can’t be themselves. People who may not even know what they’re looking for. People who struggle to be vulnerable, with others or themselves, but still seek understanding.
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma is so much more than a movie. It’s a commentary on how, to many of us, movies are so much more than ‘just’ film. ‘Just’ art, even. They become part of us. They speak for us when we can’t or don’t feel comfortable enough to. They define parts of us that we’re afraid to put names to. They’re part of our hearts.
I highly recommend Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma if you saw and loved I Saw the TV Glow. If you have an open mind and open heart. If you love Gillian Anderson like I do (because she absolutely does not disappoint and made my heart completely melt!). If you love horror, and horror helped you find your own way; or if you haven’t found your way yet and you’re still looking.
Sidebar: I wish I could hug Jane Schoenbrun and thank them for the BANGER opening credits, literally I was grinning like a fool the entire time. Absolutely brilliant, perfect, and for this Gen-Xer who grew up watching the old-school slashers, simply iconic.
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma is a beautiful movie that almost makes human desire its own character, but at its core, it’s all about freeing yourself in every way to reach joy in its purest form. I haven’t seen another horror film like it, and I can’t wait to see what Jane Schoenbern does next.
*This review was written by Christi Bandy. You can learn more about her in her author bio below.*
Where to watch Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (2026)
At the time of Christi’s review, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma is currently still playing in theaters. However, it’s expected to be hitting streaming platforms (first on Mubi, since they’re its distributors) sometime in mid-autumn. (Previous Mubi’s theatrical releases ended up streaming roughly 60 days after their run in theaters, so it’ll probably be available sometime in October). So, if you’re reading this early, check out Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma at your local theater; but, if you come back to this later, you can use HorrorFam.com’s JustWatch affiliate buttons to stream, rent, or buy it which will help support your favorite horror website at no additional cost to you!
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma | Rated R | Runtime 1h 52m | Released August 7, 2026
Images for this review were purchased on CineMaterial (poster) and MovieStillsDB (stills).
