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.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

09 Jan 2020 2 Comments

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

Image result for portrait of a lady on fire movie poster

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

Written and directed by Celine Sciamma.

I saw a trailer for this late last year and thought it would be worth my time. Since seeing it last night, I literally can’t stop thinking about this film. Like my last review Jojo Rabbit (2019), I find myself wondering if I’ve seen one of the best movies of my year at the start of January!

In a nutshell, this French period piece sees Marianne (Noemie Merlant) arrive on an island off the Brittany coast. Her brief is to act as companion to young noblewoman Heloise (Adele Haenel) by day and paint her portrait by night.  During this time, they discover in each other friendship and love.

Of course, it is far more complicated and nuanced than this, and I found it much more than the sum of its quite straightforward parts. Sciamma’s script won the screenplay award at Cannes last year (as well as the Queer Palm) and it’s easy to see why. It is economical, almost minimal but even in translation, full of subtext and rich in meaning. Apart from being very beautiful, the two leads are incredibly powerful and have great on screen presence. They are ably supported by Luana Bajrami as the young maid Sophie, and Valeria Golino as Heloise’ mother, the Countess, who pines for a better life for both her daughter and herself in Milan.

The cinematography by Claire Mathon is breathtaking – from beautifully framed exteriors on the cliffs and beach to luminous interiors, full of candle and firelight. The costumes designed by Dorothee Guiraud range from the sumptuous to the simple and add a great deal to a film that relies so heavily on themes of art and painting. Like the screenplay, the sound design is also minimal, with very little incidental music. Most of it is diegetic, from within the world of the film – fires crackling, footsteps on floorboards, the ocean breaking on the beach. There is a particularly arresting scene of women around a bonfire singing, which I found especially moving.

Ultimately, this is a love story, a film made by, about and featuring women – there are no major male characters on screen but it does nothing to exclude male audiences. At just over two hours I can see that some people would find it slow but I loved the gradual build and found myself happily immersed in this female world. Overall, Sciamma offers us a quietly elegant and ultimately satisfying movie that takes period drama to the next level.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (or Portrait de la jeune fille en feu) is currently playing at the State Cinema in Hobart but wherever you are in the world, seek it out! I wholeheartedly recommend it as a wonderful respite to the pace of modern life.