The Plague

2003 and a water polo camp full of young adolescents spending their summer break there: these are the settings where The Plague takes place. The premise seems simple, even though that is not what the movie aims to achieve.

Directed by Charlie Polinger and first presented at Cannes in 2025, where it received a moderately positive reception from the public, the movie explores the lives of several adolescents at a summer camp, where something mysterious, referred to as  “the plague,” has seemingly “infected” one of the boys: Eli (Kenny Rasmussen). Because of this, he is thus excluded by all the other campers. The only one who tries to get close to him is the protagonist, Ben (Everett Blunck), who attempts to empathise with the young boy, but soon begins to fear the plague himself, and eventually ends up being "infected" too.

The process of exclusion is led by another camper, Jake (Kayo Martin), who can influence those around him, pushing them to commit extremely cruel actions and bullying those he believes are unworthy of belonging to his circle. An adult figure, the coach (Joel Edgerton) is one of the central characters at the camp, but is not involved enough. He fails to properly support the boys, especially those who are constantly being marginalised.

It must be said that, in general, the plot flows smoothly, even if it is not fully developed in all its narrative threads. The movie includes horror elements as it progresses, despite initially appearing to be a simple adolescent drama. The film is led by young actors, who nevertheless carry the story on their shoulders and deliver strong performances, particularly considering the delicate themes the movie explores: the fragility of adolescence, social exclusion, lack of guidance, and both physical and psychological bullying.

The psychological tension that runs through the movie is also clear in its musical choices. Special emphasis is put on certain key scenes, particularly during water polo matches and those in which Eli is present, which are often marked by the absence of music. This silence reflects his deep sense of desolation and lack of social connection. A classic pattern of a pathological social group emerges clearly: the boys fear being watched or judged by others, and this fear can result in their marginalisation. At the same time, they are not ashamed to shame someone else to satisfy the group. The only one who dares to approach the outcast ends up becoming an outcast himself.

All in all, while at first glance The Plague may seem to be a simple coming-of-age film, it eventually deals with profound themes. The young cast delivers excellent performances, particularly considering the weight of the roles they were asked to perform.

By Paolo Alessi