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.

Bring Her Back – Spoiler Free

04 Jun 2025 Leave a comment

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

Bring Her Back (2025)

Directed by Danny and Michael Philippou. Written by Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman

Going into this sophomore feature from the Philippou brothers, I knew next to nothing about it, and I recommend that as a default position for watching most film. So I’m going to give as little away as possible, in the hope that many of you will go and see this on the big screen and be as surprised and ultimately, entertained as I was.

I did know it was an uncomfortable watch for many people and it stars Sally Hawkins, whose work is diverse and always top notch in my opinion. As Laura, she is a force of nature and the ticket price is worth it just for her heartfelt and at times, downright desperate performance. The younger cast members are also excellent, vision impaired Sora Wong is particularly good, especially considering her lack of previous acting experience.

Bring Her Back is very intense, doesn’t shy away from depictions of gore (I can see the influence of French New Extremity clearly here) so it’s not for the squeamish. The intensity is accentuated by some great camera work (hats off to DoP Aaron McLisky), the use of tight framing that creates a claustrophobic atmosphere and the simplicity of diegetic sound, especially rain falling. The score by award-winning screen composer, Cornel Wilczek is unobtrusive and helps build audience anxiety, and at a tight 104 minutes, this film doesn’t outstay it’s welcome.

At it’s core, this is an exploration of grief from a variety of viewpoints. From the superficiality of contemporary funeral rites to the depths of darkness, guilt and depression. (As an aside, I’d love to hear US mortician Caitlin Doughty discuss and critique various funeral practices in contemporary horror, I think it’d make an excellent video essay.) The tension is maintained through a combination of great script, visuals and sound, excellent editing and exceptional performances – both in front and behind the camera.

Ultimately, I can’t describe this as an enjoyable watch, but as a lifelong horror fan I do consider it entertaining. It’s caused me to consider people I’ve lost along the way and how I’ve processed/still processing the grief, something I consider a healthy use of my time. I haven’t watched the Philippou brothers first feature, Talk To Me (2022) but after seeing Bring Her Back, I’ll be rectifying that very soon.

Bring Her Back is currently in wide distribution globally. Highly recommended.