THE PLAGUE (2025) review
written by: Charlie Polinger
produced by: Lizzie Shapiro, Lucy McKendrick, Joel Edgerton, Roy Lee, Steven Schneider & Derek Dauchy
directed by: Charlie Polinger
rated: R (for language, sexual material, self-harm/bloody images, and some drug and alcohol use – all involving children)
runtime: 95 min.
U.S. release date: December 24, 2025 (theatrical) and January 6, 2026 (expanding)
Last May, New York-based filmmaker Charlier Polinger brought his feature directorial debut, “The Plague,” to Cannes, where the coming-of-age, psychological thriller was well-received. Making its world premiere there as part of the Un Certain Regard lineup, the harrowing film went on to receive nominations in that category, as well as the Caméra d’Or, and won an award for Best Sound Creation. That award was appropriate considering what is immediately noticeable is the film’s effective use of sound and its distinctive score, both of which heighten the subject matter and the viewer’s interest.
“The Plague” begins underwater, below the surface of an empty swimming pool, as we witness calm and stillness. An initial uneasiness and mystery can be felt, accentuated by the eerie score by American composer Johan Lenox, which also incorporates what seem to be haunting tribal sounds. This is quickly broken by one cannonball jump after another, with splashes and vocal echoes overwhelming the scene. The camera remains below the surface, trying to capture the scene of moving body parts, only to get lost in the cacophony of splashes and vocal echoes.
It’s the second session of the Tom Lerner Water Polo Camp in the summer of 2003, where a collection of unsupervised, parent-free 12 and 13-year-old boys converge. Ben (Everett Blunck) is the new kid in the class, having recently moved from Boston, as his mother is in a new relationship. He finds himself on the outside of an already-established clique, informally led by Jake (Kayo Martin), a passive-aggressive bully who hides his own insecurities. The other boys fall in line with Jake, which means ostracizing the neurodivergent Eli (Kenny Rasmussen), a boy with a severe skin condition that the other boys cruelly deem “The Plague.” The boys even say that a simple touch from Eli or even bumping into him will turn you into a leper.
Overseeing the boys is Daddy Wags (Joel Edgerton), a fortysomething coach who has to navigate being available to the swimmers and making sure they don’t kill each other through constant ridicule and shame. None of that is easy, since these prepubescent adolescent kids are immune to things like empathy, vulnerability, selflessness, or thinking outside any infectious groupthink.
Despite the wide-eyed Ben wanting to be friends with everyone, he also doesn’t want to be another kid who gets ostracized. So, he struggles with feeling empathetic towards Eli and his situation, while not wanting to be subjected to the boys’ cruelty. When Ben does take a risk and offers unsolicited acknowledgement to Eli, it backfires on him since Eli is a little off, and the other campers quickly condemn his effort. Anxiety and tensions heighten as lines are drawn among the boys, and, in an effort to survive socially, Ben faces decisions that will run counter to his character as he does his best to find his voice and place in this precarious environment.
“The Plague” has a spot-on screenplay with naturalistic dialogue, written by director Charlie Polinger, and a tremendous young ensemble, but what stands out most is how it looks and sounds. Shot on 35mm by cinematographer Steven Breckon, the visuals create a striking, mysterious, and uneasy atmosphere from the first frame. In each space, whether it’s the swimming pool, the cafeteria, or the bunkhouse where the boys sleep, there’s a claustrophobic feeling that you either have to assimilate or drown, both figuratively and literally. Polinger and Breckon work together to visually establish this fear of not being accepted and also being exposed, with up close shots and unique points of view that single out characters who are either enduring cruelty or dispensing it.
As far as we know, Ben could very well be the first camper actually to take the time to get to know Eli better. The ridiculed kid is an unusual character with a twisted sense of humor. We learn this along with Ben when Eli fakes the amputation of his finger to get a reaction. This only increases Ben’s curiosity about this weird outcast, and “The Plague” creates a precarious position for the main character, as he risks being found out by the others. They only see Eli as an outlet for their desire to humiliate. Because of that, Polinger manages to land in some uncomfortable situations that include self-harm and the embarrassment of getting an erection in public. The latter of which is, unfortunately, an all-too-familiar situation that many boys have found themselves in. Of course, it doesn’t help that a female synchronized swimming camp shares the pool, putting Ben and the others into a hypnotized state.
“The Plague” captures that feeling of uncomfortable embarrassment excellently, and the tribal score from Lenox accentuates these moments into a crescendo of terror. Primarily told from the perspective of the adolescents that populate the film, adults become an afterthought. This may speak to the cruel events that unfold when an adult is not involved, which is also something we’ve all experienced – kids will be kids, especially when adults aren’t around.
However, there is a scene in which Daddy Wags confronts Jake in a lineup of the boys, and we see the exasperated coach call out the de facto leader for his desensitized cruelty. It’s frustrating because Jake has no respect for authority or anyone else, and maintaining his reputation among his peers is more important than anything else. There’s also the fact that there’s not much Edgerton’s coach can do in this situation. As an adult and the coach, he can’t throttle the kid, as many viewers would like, and it’s easy to get the impression that alerting Jake’s parents won’t matter much – or maybe it will, since we do catch a glimpse of Jake in a meeting with the camp administrator.
Some are comparing “The Plague” to an amalgam of “Lord of the Flies” and “Full Metal Jacket”, but Polinger’s characterization goes to more intimate places than either of those stories did. “The Plague” eventually becomes a fascinating story of social and emotional pressures, all set in a time before social media. That’s a sobering thought right there.
