Writer and director Jane Schoenbrun has a creative eye for making films about filmmakers. After being astonished by I Saw the TV Glow back in 2024, I knew that I was going to be sold on Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma. It is a vivid portrait of art that correlates filmmaking, falling in love, and a slasher direction altogether. It does so with mind-boggling colors. As a director, she has a vision for a movie to come to life, she dives deep in Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma.

 

The film focuses on Kris, played by Hannah Einbinder. She is trying to reboot a film series called Camp Miasma. She decides to travel to the lost places where it was filmed, and her goal is to cast the ‘final girl’ from the original movie. That “girl” is Billy, played by Gillian Anderson. She invites Kris into her home, and they begin to fall into a deep connection with each other while having many movie nights. Deep-down, as Kris is absorbing the loving hospitality, she starts to feel love for Billy. She finds that there is more to Camp Miasma than she expected.

 

The film begins to feel like a mental rollercoaster ride. Kris gets very surreal with how she wants the franchise to be rebooted. The constant presence of Billy inspires her voice and also moments where she finds her quirkier aspects coming out. The new movie camp is called Camp Tivoli, and there are many clues surrounding where the film finds its brilliance. For Kris, she is back and forth with how her filmmaking is meant to speak. She struggles with what the studios want from her, but her love for Billy and rebooting the franchise of Camp Miasma is her defense in remaining true to her vision.

 

There are moments where Kris gets over her head. Especially when she is talking with her colleagues about launching the project. Her silly moments though are what makes the film feel real. They make audiences think about how the days of becoming a successful filmmaker have gotten more difficult. With Kris though, her character is the one that shines in Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma.

 

As the story unfolds, there are moments when the darkness gets even more horrid. The bond between Billy and Kris begins to have red flags. As Kris opens about her sexual dynamic and relationships, Billy keeps pushing for her to expose more.  Kris tells her that she is polyamorous and questions her ability to love. This makes Billy try to force Kris out of her shell even more and the two eventually falls into romance. Even more, Camp Tivoli has some areas that begin to make a questionable, yet brilliant journey throughout the film. It is a clever and artistic work-of-art that I believe is one of the best films of 2026. Four out of four stars.