Jane Schoenbrun is not a director who does anything by half measures — or without a personal stake — but all that and more makes them such an essential filmmaker for this post-post-modern age. Their feature debut, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, introduced Schoenbrun as a disruptor, and a major name to watch. Their ability to comment on cultural phenomena without beating a dead horse goes unmatched, even if said commentary lives on the margins as underrated (if immaculate) indie darlings.
Now, Schoenbrun is offering up Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, which could be their most ambitious film yet. Where Schoenbrun’s debut crystallized their brush with online liminal spaces, and I Saw the TV Glow spliced the stimulation of the “egg crack moment” with their affinity for cult TV classics, the filmmaker’s third project lays waste to the slasher — but that’s not its only focus. The reclamation of pleasure and sensuality is also top on Camp Miasma’s list of priorities, making for a horror that’s equal parts horny and harrowing.
