Do Not Miss Out On Catching The Plague (FANTASTIC) This Holiday Season
Title: The Plague
First Non-Festival Release: December 24, 2025 (Limited Theatrical Release)
Director: Charlie Polinger
Writer: Charlie Polinger
Runtime: 95 Minutes
Starring: Joel Edgerton, Everett Blunck, Kenny Rasmussen, Kayo Martin
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
This film’s review was written after its screening at the Fantastic Film Festival in 2025.
When you’re a kid, nothing sucks more than being different. Children have a way of making life a quiet hell for those unlucky enough to be deemed any range of pejoratives. Boys have their own special way of treating each other, especially in the awkward years of middle school.
Ben (Everett Blunck) arrives to the second session of a summer water polo camp determined to make friends. It starts fine enough until Ben begins feeling sympathetic for one of the other kids: Eli (Kenny Rasmussen). Eli has a mild skin condition and is generally uninterested in adhering to the social norms the other boys insist upon. In choosing friendship with Eli, Ben invites a target on his back from the other children, especially Jake (Kayo Martin). As the bullying intensifies, Ben questions how much more he can take.
A heartbreaking depiction of male adolescence and the subtle terrors of growing up different from other boys, The Plague is a spellbinding horror drama.
Carrie meets the grounded madness of pre-teenage boys in The Plague, offering a fresh take on the realities of bullying. Far from an after-school special, The Plague is matter-of-fact with its depiction of adolescent cruelty. Adept at social engineering and mindful to use plausible deniability whenever possible, the bullies lean toward covert tactics. Ben’s torment is interesting because it doesn’t always seem adversarial. That’s where The Plague gets it right. There are still moments where a bullied kid might impress with a special talent, a good story, or killer joke, but those moments of safety are ephemeral. The flashier, more violent moments of The Plague echo its thesis. Zooming out, the individual experiences might resonate more emotionally but the constant anxiety from the fear of the next attack is worse.
With realistic characters and a complex understanding of social dynamics among young boys, The Plague seeks to unsettle in a way that makes the audience feel as helpless as its characters. Mired by groupthink, performance, and the panopticon of adolescent life, the other boys are just as culpable and just as much victims of their own creation. Blurring the lines between their own beliefs and ideals, key moments show cracks in the facade only for the fear of retribution to force them back in line. This tango between the torment of living untruthfully out of safety and the fear of living authentically feed into the varied levels of apathy displayed in Jake’s posse. The attention to detail given to this social ecosystem makes its bullying more real and, thus, more horrifying.
Charlie Polinger’s debut feature is as daring as it is assured, his confident vision bringing this undertold story to life. Almost clinically filmed, there is a level of intensity and precision that makes The Plague so captivating. Strong visuals and dynamic camerawork make the dizzying spiral of Ben’s comedown all the more sickening. The bullying is uncomfortable, disorienting. And the filming reflects that.
The most impressive element of the feature comes from the child cast who do impeccable work making the plight come to life. Everett Blunck plays Ben with such care and intensity, committing to his most manic moments without fear. He knows how to capture a moment, a feeling with such expression. It’s hard to believe anyone could give a performance as authentic as Kenny Rasmussen. Embodying every weird kid or outsider, Rasmussen is unapologetic in his portrayal of the quirks and ticks of Eli, without making him a caricature. Kayo Martin, however, chills with his take on Jake. Careful not to lean on cliches or to mistake big emotions with a bigger performance, Martin is more restrained. Offering glimpses of compassion, wisdom, and hurt, in an otherwise callous pre-teen, Martin’s approach is inspired.
The Plague is a harrowing and uncomfortable watch, especially for those who have experienced this growing up, but its importance trumps any discomfort a viewer may hold. A captivating story, excellent performances, and confident direction make The Plague one of the most heartbreaking horror films of the 2020s. Visceral horrors may not be the focus but the quiet dread of The Plague more than makes it eligible for one of the most intense genre films of the year. Easily one of the sweetest surprises of the festival, make sure you catch The Plague in theaters this Christmas.
Overall Score? 8/10
