---
title: "Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma"
year: 2026
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma"
fi1m_id: "teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma"
imdb_id: "tt35298123"
tmdb_id: 1240889
wikidata_id: "Q134434223"
fi1m_score: 80
critics_score: 85
critics_reviews: 16
published: "2026-09-14"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:23.448601+00:00"
region: "EC"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (2026)

Directed by Jane Schoenbrun · 1h 52m · Comedy, Horror, Romance

## Identity

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma
- **IMDb ID:** tt35298123
- **TMDB ID:** 1240889
- **Wikidata ID:** Q134434223
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35298123/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1240889, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q134434223

**Fi1m score: 80** · Critics 85 from 16 reviews

*In a sentence:* A horror franchise is a questionable basis for a romance, but Gillian Anderson makes a persuasive case

> Jane Schoenbrun’s queer horror romance is funny and unexpectedly tender, with Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson making its obsession with films feel personal. The second half wanders, but the two leads keep us interested.

## Synopsis

A young filmmaker and an older actress find common ground in a decades-old slasher franchise. Hannah Einbinder plays Kris, opposite Gillian Anderson as Billy, with Amanda Fix appearing as Young Billy. Their attachment to horror becomes entangled with questions of desire, identity and what it means to feel at home in a body. Jane Schoenbrun’s film moves between comedy, horror and romance, bringing the franchise’s fictional world into contact with the lives of those who care about it. Arthur Conti, Eva Victor and Jasmin Savoy Brown also appear.

## Review

Jane Schoenbrun approaches the slasher film with affection for the people who find something useful in its bloodshed. *Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma* is a funny, tender horror romance, weakened by a second half that takes too long to get on with things. The starting point is a young filmmaker, an older actress and a fictional horror franchise that matters to both of them. Schoenbrun takes that attachment seriously. There is comedy in their devotion, but no suggestion that they need to grow out of it.

Hannah Einbinder’s Kris and Gillian Anderson’s Billy make the conversations about horror worth listening to even when the ideas get tangled. Einbinder brings vulnerability to the younger woman’s fascination, while Anderson makes the reclusive horror actress funny, seductive and faintly threatening. Their chemistry allows the film to be frank about desire without turning either woman into an illustration of a point. We were unexpectedly moved by their conversations, because Einbinder makes the need to be understood feel so exposed.

Eric K. Yue’s cinematography gives the film a dreamlike look that suits its confusion of attraction and fear. Production designers Matt Hyland and Brandon Tonner-Connolly make the invented franchise feel substantial enough to inspire this much devotion. The tackiness is part of the pleasure, and it gives the film’s talk about fandom something concrete to refer to. We can see why these characters want to spend time in this world. Alex G’s music is less memorable than the images and the two leads.

Schoenbrun’s screenplay is generous towards the characters’ tastes, including those they might have trouble defending. The gore, the sexual curiosity and the absurdity are allowed to occupy the same story without each being explained away as something more respectable. That willingness to be silly gives the romance room to develop without being treated as a solemn lesson in self-acceptance. For a horror comedy so interested in what spectators bring with them, it is refreshingly unconcerned with making its characters sensible.

Graham Mason’s editing is less convincing in the second half, where the film’s wandering pace starts to work against the romance. At 112 minutes, it has time for both the central pair and the discussions about horror, but some of those discussions feel longer than their ideas warrant. Schoenbrun seems reluctant to leave an interesting thought alone, even when the actors have already made it clear. We remained interested in the women but began to lose patience with the film.

The knowing slasher can become an exercise in recognising other films, with little left for anyone who misses a reference. Schoenbrun avoids much of that smugness by making fandom a source of company for people who need it. The genre knowledge is extensive, but the appeal rests on the possibility of finding someone who understands the same peculiar pleasure. Viewers with no investment in horror may find the lengthy attention paid to its effects on people harder to share.

We recommend it to those willing to take its romance as seriously as its horror, and to forgive some dawdling along the way. Einbinder and Anderson are good company even when Schoenbrun gives them rather a lot of cinema to think about. If gore ends the evening’s negotiations, choose something else.

*Fi1m score 80, published 14 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond warmly to Schoenbrun’s playful use of a fictional slasher franchise to explore queer desire, identity and attachment to disreputable cinema. Praise centres on Gillian Anderson and Hannah Einbinder, whose chemistry gives the film’s ideas an emotional connection. The reviews repeatedly pick out its humour, unsettling sexuality and affectionate treatment of horror conventions, finding more than clever references in its bloodshed and nostalgia.

The disagreement concerns how much feeling survives the film’s abstractions, rather than the quality of the performances. Film Comment offers the clearest reservation: viewers without an appetite for gore and exaggerated kitsch may find it cold, despite the leads’ work. The Hollywood Reporter also finds it more abstract than emotionally resonant, while remaining drawn to its honesty and humour. /Film and Collider note pacing problems, but these are modest qualifications within a broadly enthusiastic consensus.

## Straight answers

**Is Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma worth watching?**

*Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma* is worth watching for anyone who can take a romance and a slasher in the same evening, and we scored it 80. Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson are funny and unexpectedly tender together, and the invented horror franchise feels real enough to deserve their devotion. The second half dawdles, and viewers with no interest in horror may lose patience.

**How long is Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, and what is it rated?**

*Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma* runs 1h 52m. It is a comedy and horror film.

**Where can I watch Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma in Ecuador?**

*Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma* is not on any streaming or rental service in Ecuador at the moment. It is available in 11 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, and is it suitable for children?**

*Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma* carries a UK 15 certificate, so it is not for children, and its gore and frank sexual curiosity are part of the point rather than incidental. The horror is more dreamlike than punishing, but the bloodshed is there and the film does not apologise for it. Older teenagers who enjoy slashers should be fine; the squeamish should choose something else.

### Reviews we read (19)

- **Financial Times**, Danny Leigh (★★★★★): The critic describes the film as heady, funny, and unnerving, a disguised horror movie that feels like feel-good fun with strong performances. Gillian Anderson and Hannah Einbinder's chemistry and the inventive take on genre clichés are highlighted positively. [Read](https://www.ft.com/content/65b7e5bd-e02f-41e8-a22f-06e8a05eac45)
- **Radio Times**, Patrick Cremona (5/5): The critic calls it another immensely mesmeric and evocative piece that cements Schoenbrun as one of the most exciting directors of the decade and an instant cult classic. It singles out the spellbinding use of a fictional slasher franchise to explore art, identity, sexuality and the power of lowbrow media to transform alienated viewers. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-review/)
- **Vulture**, Alison Willmore (90/100, inferred): The film is an absolute banger that revolves around a decades-old slasher franchise and the feelings it engenders in its protagonists. It finds common ground between a young filmmaker and an older actress through themes of flesh, fluids, nostalgia, and visceral connections to art. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-is-an-absolute-banger.html)
- **Slant Magazine** (3.5/4): Schoenbrun’s endlessly playful, humorous, and gory film is a metatextual ode to slashers that collapses fictional and real worlds in a riveting blend of romance, absurdity, and violence. It explores sex and cinema as forces that penetrate and transform us, with tactile commentary on the genre. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-review-jane-schoenbrun/)
- **Empire**, Laura Venning (85/100, inferred): The critic calls it an utterly unique, exhilaratingly entertaining vision that is both blood-drenched and beautiful. They single out its deliciously rich, cine-literate text, playful homage to slashers, and compelling tender lead performances that embrace queerness viscerally. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma/)
- **The Guardian** (85/100, inferred): The critic praises the film as an enjoyable, eccentric display of transformative ecstasy and fan devotion to trash cinema and kink. Gillian Anderson's performance as the reclusive Final Girl is singled out for its droll style and seductive presence. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/may/14/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-review-seductive-gillian-anderson-fulfils-a-rapturous-slasher-fan-obsession)
- **The Independent**, Adam White (85/100, inferred): The critic praises Schoenbrun's staggeringly original take on sexuality and the thrill of problematic horror cinema. They single out Gillian Anderson's performance as her greatest acting showcase in years, maternal yet threatening, and suggest it could earn her an Oscar. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/gillian-anderson-camp-miasma-cannes-review-b2976633.html)
- **Variety**, Jessica Kiang (Critics Pick): The critic praises Schoenbrun's third feature as their most accomplished and playful yet, a meta slasher homage blending sex, death, VHS nostalgia and junk food into a queered exploration of desire and pop culture. Anderson and Einbinder deliver standout performances in this delirious, self-aware tribute that smuggle deeper themes into schlocky fun. [Read](https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-review-1236747126/)
- **IndieWire**, Ryan Lattanzio (B+): Schoenbrun delivers an affectionate meta-horror homage that aims for the heart as much as the head, sparked by the sapphic chemistry between Anderson and Einbinder. It blends slasher tropes with explorations of orgasms, fandom, and personal transformation in a unique, playful way. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-review-jane-schoenbrun-1235193695/)
- **Evening Standard**, Hannah Pettit (80/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as a wildly original love-letter and takedown of 80s slasher tropes that is lighter, sillier, complex and layered. They praise its distinctive vision, deep love of movies, and how it uses the franchise to explore identity, sexuality and self-acceptance through silly, sexy and gleefully funny means. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/sxsw-review-teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-b1285254.html)
- **Sight and Sound** (80/100, inferred): The critic finds Schoenbrun’s meta slasher wise, kind and playful about sex and cinema, urging viewers to surrender to its pleasures rather than over-intellectualise. It singles out the believable invented mythos and the warm, self-aware space created by its trans presences and boundary-breaking approach to fantasy and desire. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/teenage-sex-death-camp-miasma-jane-schoenbruns-open-hearted-slasher-playful-about-sex-cinema)
- **The Telegraph** (80/100, inferred): The review highlights the film's extravagant, funny, and unsettling qualities as a satire and paean to problematic cinema. Gillian Anderson is praised for her knowing, vampish performance as the horror queen. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2026/05/14/teenage-sex-death-camp-miasma-review-cannes/)
- **Film Comment**, Jonathan Romney (65/100, inferred): The critic notes that many viewers will enjoy the film's blend of thrills and self-reflexive theory, with strong performances from the leads, but suggests those not invested in gore or hyper-kitsch may find it cold. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/cannes-2026-cannes-opener-fatherland-teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-in-waves-review/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Richard Lawson: Schoenbrun uses a fictional slasher franchise as a portal to explore identity, desire, and personal hang-ups about sex. The film is heady and strange, more abstract than emotionally resonant as the director's previous work, but captivating in its confusion, honesty, and comic touch. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-review-jane-schoenbrun-1236595127/)
- **/Film**, Witney Seibold (8.5/10): The critic praises the film as a profound media analysis of 1980s slashers through a queer lens, highlighting its exploration of emotional catharsis and sexual discovery. They single out the conversations between the characters and the dreamlike visual style for particular acclaim, while noting some pacing issues. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/2228112/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-movie-review/)
- **Collider**, Emma Kiely (8/10): The critic praises the film as an erotic, tantalizing meta-slasher made for fans that explores identity, desire, and selfhood through its leads' chemistry and Schoenbrun's vision. Pacing issues in the second half are noted as a minor drawback. [Read](https://collider.com/camp-miasma-movie-review-hannah-einbinder-gillian-anderson-slasher-jane-schoenbrun/)
- **The Skinny**, Iana Murray (★★★★): The review praises the film's ambitious take on slasher tropes as a vehicle for queer awakening and bodily pleasure, highlighting its tonal balance and production design. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma)
- **Deadline**, Damon Wise: The critic calls it an instant midnight-movie classic and psychedelic tribute to early '80s slasher films that reclaims the genre from the male gaze. They single out the explosive mix of fear and desire along with Hannah Einbinder's strong, vulnerable lead performance. [Read](https://deadline.com/2026/05/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-review-1236901799/)
- **The Wrap**: The critic describes the film as a haunting, spellbinding vision that interrogates themes of body comfort, desire, and transformation via slasher tropes and meta elements. They praise the visceral imagery, tacky genre thrills blended with existential ideas, and the inventive production design. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-cannes-review/)

## Details

- **Director:** Jane Schoenbrun
- **Director:** Jane Schoenbrun
- **Writer:** Jane Schoenbrun
- **Cinematography:** Eric K. Yue
- **Editor:** Graham Mason
- **Music:** Alex G
- **Production design:** Brandon Tonner-Connolly, Matt Hyland
- **Costume design:** Kendra Terpenning
- **Producer:** Jeremy Kleiner, Dede Gardner
- **Cast:** Hannah Einbinder as Kris; Gillian Anderson as Billy; Amanda Fix as Young Billy; Arthur Conti as Alex; Eva Victor as DJ Ella Giastic; Zach Cherry as Will; Sarah Sherman as Kris' Agent; Patrick Fischler as Rudolph
- **Runtime:** 1h 52m
- **First release (France):** 13 May 2026
- **Genres:** Comedy, Horror, Romance
- **Budget:** $8 million
- **Box office:** $8 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9TsiTgYZGw

## Where to watch in Ecuador

Not streaming, renting or buying in Ecuador at the last check.

Also available in: AT, BR, CA, CL, CO, DE, GB, IE, IT, MX, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Peeping Tom* (1960): For horror that makes the act of watching feel uncomfortably close to participation.
- *Daughters of Darkness* (1971): An older woman’s seductive authority gives this vampire story its unsettling appeal.
- *The Watermelon Woman* (1996): A filmmaker’s fascination with an actress opens up questions of desire and belonging.
- *The Final Girls* (2015): An invented slasher franchise becomes a setting for affectionate comedy and grief.
- *Knife + Heart* (2018): Queer desire and slasher violence collide around a troubled adult-film production.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma