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Film: The Plague
Year: 2025
Director: Charlie Polinger
Writer: Charlie Polinger
Starring: Everett Blunck, Kayo Martin and Joel Edgerton
Review:
This was a film that intrigued me when I saw the title. It did festival rounds in 2025. I know that it came to the Gateway Film Center for its limited theatrical run late in December. This is technically considered to be a wide release for 2026. I was on the fence, because I wasn’t sure if it was horror. I’ve heard people classify it in both ways. Since there wasn’t a new release at the theater, I decided to pull the trigger and make it a featured review.
Synopsis: a socially awkward tween endures the ruthless hierarchy at a water polo camp, his anxiety spiraling into psychological turmoil over the summer.
Now what we learn is that this is taking place back in 2003. This is interesting, because I would have been a bit older than these children as I graduated in spring of 2005. They’re at a water polo camp. Our main character is Ben (Everett Blunck). He’s doing what he can to fit in. The leader of the popular kids is Jake (Kayo Martin). He is a bully. He also has a standing since his father accidentally paid for two sessions, so this is the second time. This camp is run by Daddy Wags (Joel Edgerton).
There’s another teen who was here for the first session, Eli (Kenny Rasmussen). He’s awkward and hangs out by himself. He is bullied due to having developed a rash. It manifests along with pimples and is all over his back and sides. Jake and his group call it ‘the plague’. They also claim that it affects motor function, making whoever is afflicted uncoordinated. If Eli touches you, then you need to wash the infected area immediately or risk contraction.
Ben is torn. He befriends Jake enough, but even when you’re in with this group, you are still open to being mocked for doing something stupid. Eli gets aroused and made fun of in front of girls. Ben feels bad for laughing. The group also gets punished by Daddy Wags. Ben decides to do the right things and befriends Eli. The problem is that he gets infected by the plague and is ostracized. He stands up to Jake, but he gets ridiculed like Eli, he is faced with difficult decisions. What we choose has repercussions that will affect lives forever.
That is where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. The story isn't complex, nor does it need to be; as mentioned, it focuses on the repercussions of decisions. The narrative centers on young teens dealing with bullying's severe psychological effects. The desire for popularity comes at a cost. Looking back, most high school drama is insignificant, but it feels crucial to those with limited life experience. Ultimately, the choices made here will have lasting consequences based on your interpretation.
Since this is a character study, where I want to go next would be the lead character, Ben. He doesn’t know anyone here and it sounds like he has recently moved. He is awkward and probably dealing with anxiety, so there’s part of it. What is interesting is that making friends does come more naturally to some people. Blunck does well in showing the panic when he says something funny and the popular kids harp on it. It is an interesting look that fitting in with these kids is difficult, even when you’re ‘accepted’.
There’s an interesting dynamic with him. When the crew gets scolded by Daddy Wags, Ben befriends Eli. He secretly hangs out with him, for fear that he’s going to get made fun of. This becomes a difficult line to toe. There is a moment where Ben offers to rub a cream on the back of Eli. This turns into Jake mocking him, stating that he gave him a backrub. There is an element here of making Ben sounds like he could be a homosexual. We see that he has a crush on one of the girls in the synchronized swimming camp. There is that fear of the accusation though.
Other character dynamics that I want to include would first be Jake. There is an interesting element when we see him interact with his father. This indicates that his father is hard on him, which explains why Jake acts the way that he does. Martin shows good charisma for a bully. Another would be Daddy Wags. He seems like a good guy. I do like how he takes Ben aside and helps comfort him. What gets relayed makes a lot of sense, echoing things that I said about how most of this doesn’t matter in the grand scheme. Edgerton is great as well.
I then want to discuss ‘the plague’. While watching this, I did look up to see what the rash was. From what I read, the actual rash might not be real. It does seem like it also is something that is more metaphorical. I know the effects on motor function are just awkward teens who are either uncoordinated or just not used to their body. The rash when Ben develops it could just be hormones and a ‘scarlet letter’. That makes this quite intriguing.
What I’ll then do is just sum up the themes. This can be seen as a ‘Lord of the Flies’ dynamic, even though they aren’t stranded on an island. Camp though does carry a similar, isolated feel. There is a social hierarchy that is developed from toxic masculinity. Peer pressure is pulling Ben and other boys in. He struggles with his moral compass as he sees decisions hurting Eli. There is still that fear of isolation, like you have the plague. There is also the concept of performative identity.
Then the last thing would be if this was horror. In the grand scheme, no. This is a drama. I can also say a psychological thriller. As we get deeper into this though, Ben is ostracized when they think he has ‘the plague’, it turns into psychological horror. He pushes this on Eli when Ben finally snaps from bullying. There is a body horror, both with seeing the rash as well as something that Ben does. It is close enough to be adjacent.
Let’s then go over to what carries this which would be the acting performances. The three leads, Blunck, Martin and Edgerton, are all great. I love seeing Ben navigate the social dynamics at this camp. Rasmussen is also great as this weird kid. He isn’t as worried about the bullying, outside of a time where he is mocked in front of everyone. Eli just wants to do his own thing and it's when Ben is hard on him that he cracks. The rest of the teens fit what was needed, mostly following their leader. That fits from what I remember of this era of life.
All that is left then is filmmaking aspects. The cinematography and framing are excellent. It is interesting that this is set in a city. This camp uses a swimming pool but with how it is shot, you’d think that it is in the middle of nowhere. When you’re this age and cannot drive, that does capture the isolation. Capturing the despair of bullying was a good element. We are limited on the effects, but what they use looks practical. I love underwater shots. They look great. The sound design and music used fit the era it was set as well as setting the atmosphere.
In conclusion, this is a compelling and unsettling character-driven drama that effectively uses the isolated setting of a water polo camp to explore serious themes. While not a traditional horror film, its unflinching look at bullying, social hierarchies, and the profound psychological damage of ostracism pushes it into the realm of psychological and body horror adjacency. Anchored by outstanding performances, particularly from Blunck as Ben and Martin as Jake, and supported by strong filmmaking choices, the movie succeeds as a thoughtful 'Lord of the Flies' style examination of a fragile moral compass under pressure. It's a difficult watch, but a highly recommended one that powerfully reminds the audience that the choices we make, even in seemingly insignificant moments of youth, can have irreparable, life-altering consequences.
My Rating: 9 out of 10