Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma – no spoilers

14 Aug 2026 Leave a comment

by Debra Manskey in Biography, Movie Review, Writing Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (2026)

Written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun.

Several friends have been telling me to catch up with the films of writer and director Jane Schoenbrun, in particular We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (2021) and I Saw the TV Glow (2024). Their work has been on my radar for some time but life keeps getting in the way of movie viewing. Well, last weekend I finally popped my Schoenbrun cherry!

Although the title is an absolute giveaway, I went in blind to this, managing to avoid trailers and reviews. I went to the State Cinema in North Hobart with friends, all of us horror fans though I have to say I’m more of a folk horror than slasher girl. Personally, I’ve always found the misogyny embedded so deeply in classic slasher films to be off-putting in many ways. But this is a film about movies and movie making – and through a decidedly queer lens. With all that in mind, in happy to say I really enjoyed this movie, and found myself laughing out loud a number of times.

The cast are excellent throughout but the two leads carry the film with ease. Hannah Einbinder brings a particular kind of fangirl intensity and simultaneously, endearing naivety as movie director Kris, who wants to revive the Camp Miasma franchise. Without giving anything away, the online pitch meeting was absolutely hilarious! Gillian Anderson is stunning as Billie, the “final girl” from the original Camp Miasma films. She is like a cross between Norma Desmond from Sunset Boulevard and Dolly Parton. I found her performance utterly riveting, in a similar mold to Demi Moore in 2024’s The Substance.

The staging is particularly interesting, a combination of real locations mixed with painted backdrops, offering frames with a decidedly Wes Anderson whimsy. While this might sound at odds with a film of this nature, it worked really well for me. Similarly, the physical effects and use of film blood are hilariously over the top right from the very start, which adds to the feeling of unreality and other worldliness. There are many, many nods to classic and horror cinema, especially Cronenberg and themes of body dysmorphia and relationships with technology are prominent. It is a love letter to horror movies in general and slasher movies specifically, but also a deconstruction of the subgenre and an examination of fetisisation in slasher films, gender roles and representations, all executed in a very playful manner.

In conclusion, like all horror, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma isn’t a movie for everyone. However, I found it a darkly comedic, surprisingly entertaining and satisfying watch, prompting me to seek out more work by Jane Schoenbrun.

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma is currently in wide release globally. As always, I’m interested to hear what you think. Leave a comment or send a message with your thoughts.

Send Help – Spoiler Free

22 Feb 2026 Leave a comment

by Debra Manskey in Biography, Movie Review, Writing Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Send Help (2026)

Directed by Sam Raimi. Screenplay by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift.

I haven’t been to the cinema much so far this year but I’m glad I saw Send Help (2026) this weekend. Sam Raimi’s films have always entertained me right back to The Evil Dead (1981) and his blend of visceral horror interspersed with comedic beats is right in my wheelhouse. There are moments in Send Help that are cringe-inducing (especially in the first act), laugh-out-loud funny and still most definitely horror.

The story concerns down-trodden employee Linda Liddle (played beautifully by Rachel McAdams) and her dreadfully insensitive new boss Bradley Preston (Dylan O’Brien). After their company plane crashes, they’re the only survivors and find themselves stranded on a tropical island. (All of this is in the trailer but any more information would spoil the fun!)

The stranded opposites on a desert island story has often been used as a trope to examine social norms and differences (think Robinson Crusoe). Send Help is no exception, but there are significant twists here and they are delightful. The cinematography is exactly what I expect from such an experienced DoP as Bill Pope and the set pieces are perfectly placed and executed within the narrative. I’m usually not a huge fan of Danny Elfman’s soundtracks, I often find his work overbearing and trying so hard it drags me out of the film, but here his score is great and works with the story.

Being a Raimi black comedy, we’re dealing with archetypes here but O’Brien and McAdams play their roles very well without falling into the trap of caricatures. McAdams in particular is simply stunning and it’s great to see her in such a front and centre role. She is on screen for nearly every scene and balances the comedy and horror of the situation very well.

Both the lead characters are flawed, over the top and in one way or another often unlikeable but I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and so did my date (also a Raimi fan). I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes their horror physical as well as psychological and their comedy very black!

Send Help is currently in wide release globally and highly recommended.