In a horror that seems to be the inverse of But I’m a Cheerleader, a group of teens battle sinister forces at an LGBTQIA+ conversion camp.
It’s almost a prerequisite that films which focus on conversion camps contain elements of horror, dealing as they do with issues of abuse and homophobia.
They/Them (pronounced ‘They-slash-Them, for marketing purposes), takes these elements to the extreme, as a group of teens battle not only their counsellor’s abusive methods, but a serial killer who is on the loose. The official synopsis reads:
“Several queer and trans campers join Whistler for a week of programming intended to ‘help them find a new sense of freedom.’ As the camp’s methods become increasingly more psychologically unsettling, the campers must work together to protect themselves. When a mysterious killer starts claiming victims, things get even more dangerous”.
Kevin Bacon stars as unsettling camp director Owen Whistler , while Anna Chlumsky and Carrie Preston play the camp’s medic and therapist. The campers are Theo Germaine, Quei Tann, Austin Crute, Monique Kim, Anna Lore, Cooper Koch and Darwin Del Febro.
The film is the brainchild of John Logan, writer of Gladiator and Skyfall, who writes and directs.
He said of the film ““They/Them has been germinating within me my whole life. I’ve loved horror movies as long as I can remember, I think because monsters represent ‘the other’ and as gay kid I felt a powerful sense of kinship with those characters who were different, outlawed, or forbidden. I wanted to make a movie that celebrates queerness, with characters that I never saw when I was growing up. When people walk away from the movie, I hope they’re going to remember the incredible love that these kids have for each other and how that love needs to be protected and celebrated”.
They/Them will be released via Peacock on 5th August. Watch the trailer below…
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