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The Plague: A Brutal Look at Preteen Social Dynamics

Few films are downright meen enough too capture the reality of being a kid. Being young isn’t just contained in the amber memories of wonder, or expectation, or freedom. It’s also defined by all the abuse doled out by your peers, the bullies and bastards pressuring and cajoling and probing for weaknesses. For every beautiful thing observed and incorporated into a child’s life, something nasty and predatory slips through from the world of adults. It’s this that makes writer-director Charlie Polinger’s The Plague into a sharp yet hard-to-watch debut. Shrinking down the masculine hardships, bottled-up pain, and explosive release of Claire Denis’ Beau Travail to better fit a group of preteen water polo players, Polinger’s film ostensibly got made thanks to the help of producer-actor Joel Edgerton.But it’s the young cast, filled with up-and-comers like Everett blunck (who also starred in last year’s festival film Griffin In Summer), who make this anxiety-inducing look at pubescent social structures so thrilling-and so brutal.

The Plague is explained to us through the eyes of Tom Lerner Water Polo Camp newcomer Ben (Blunck).It’s 2003 and little white boys with bleach-blond hair are saying “okayyy” like Lil Jon. But even if the film is set two decades ago, the painful bonafides of its clique haven’t aged a day. Pick a year, and you’ll find the ridiculous piece of pop culture being repeated as loudly as possible for laughs, to prove some sort of worth to the group. As Ben figures out where he’ll sit for lunch in the cafeteria and how he’ll avoid getting himself stuck with an embarrassing nickname after a single conversation with the cool crowd, he finds that he’s already of a higher status than he thought.Even being the newest arrival doesn’t make him a member of the lowest caste at camp. That dishonor belongs to Eli (Kenny Rasmussen), who all the other kids refer to as “The Plague” due to a pimply rash on his face and back. Don’t talk to him, don’t go near him, don’t even acknowledge his existence.

Polinger doesn’t offer any easy answers or explanations for why these kids are so cruel. There’s no grand villain pulling the strings, no obvious trauma that explains their behavior. They’re just…kids, operating within the limited, ofen brutal logic of their social ecosystem. The film’s power lies in its refusal to moralize or offer a tidy resolution. it simply presents the situation as it is indeed, forcing the viewer to confront the uncomfortable truth that cruelty can exist without a clear motive. The water polo sequences, initially presented as a backdrop for the social drama, gradually take on a more symbolic weight. The pool becomes a microcosm of the camp’s social hierarchy, with the stronger, more popular players dominating the water while Eli is relegated to the sidelines.

Blunck delivers a remarkably nuanced performance as Ben, capturing the character’s internal conflict as he navigates the treacherous waters of camp life. He’s not a especially sympathetic character – he’s complicit in the bullying, at least initially – but he’s undeniably relatable. We see his desire to fit in, his fear of rejection, and his gradual realization that the social order at camp is built on a foundation of cruelty. Rasmussen, as Eli, is equally compelling. He portrays the character’s isolation and vulnerability with a quiet dignity that makes his mistreatment all the more heartbreaking.

The film’s aesthetic is deliberately understated,mirroring the mundane reality of camp life. The cinematography is naturalistic, and the editing is brisk and efficient. Polinger avoids any flashy stylistic flourishes, allowing the performances and the story to take center stage. This approach lends the film a sense of authenticity that makes its impact all the more powerful. The Plague isn’t a comfortable watch, but it’s a necessary one. It’s a film that stays with you long after the credits have rolled, prompting you to reflect on the complexities of childhood and the enduring power of social dynamics.

While the film draws clear parallels to Denis’ work, it doesn’t simply imitate it. polinger brings his own unique sensibility to the material, creating a film that is both deeply personal and universally resonant. the film’s ending, while ambiguous, feels earned. It doesn