(4 stars)
Ben is the new kid in town. He isn’t sure whether to listen to the other middle-schoolers at water polo camp who tell him to avoid Eli, a chubby boy they claim has “the plague” because of rashes covering his body. They get up and move to another table when Eli tries to eat with them in the cafeteria. They sprint to the nearest sink to scrub their hands clean after accidentally brushing past him.
It’s all a mean joke, Ben thinks to himself. The disease can’t actually be real. Right?
He grapples with his conscience throughout “The Plague,” a psychological horror film reminding viewers of just how cruel adolescence can be. This is well-trodden territory, but director Charlie Polinger’s impressive debut paints such a vivid portrait of boyhood bullying that it feels like discovering pubescent misbehavior anew. He warns against enabling this kind of abuse, without ever becoming didactic.
Early on in the 2003-set film, Ben (Everett Blunck) joins the other boys — played by remarkable young talents such as Elliott Heffernan, whom you might recognize from Steve McQueen’s “Blitz” — in following the lead of a deviously charismatic 12-year-old named Jake (Kayo Martin). Jake is a villain straight out of “Lord of the Flies.” His dominance relies on the systematic subjugation of everyone else, and Eli (Kenny Rasmussen), who may be on the autism spectrum though it’s never stated, becomes the scapegoat.
Ben tries to fit in with Jake’s crew, feigning interest in conversations of sex to signal his coolness, but he finds he has more in common with Eli. They bond over Gollum impressions and dance parties and a trick Eli does in which he pretends to cut off his finger. Together, they are free to act like the children they are — which makes it even more heartbreaking when Ben continues to reject Eli in the presence of others. Will he learn to embrace being different, as Eli has done, or keep trying to behave as his bullies do?
Polinger has said he was inspired to write “The Plague” while cleaning out his childhood bedroom during the pandemic. He discovered journals and yearbooks that reminded him of his youthful exploits, including those that took place at an all-boys summer camp like the one in the film. He writes these characters with empathy, acknowledging that Jake and his friends act out of insecurity, while also channeling his grown-up feelings of helplessness into the water polo coach (Joel Edgerton, playing the only substantial adult character).
When Ben starts to get bullied over his friendship with Eli, his coach tries to comfort him by recalling how hard a time he had growing up, too. “This is like the most depressing pep talk ever,” Ben says, letting out a sigh.
“The Plague” does an exceptional job of making viewers share in Ben’s growing sense of dread. The opening scene takes place in the swimming pool, during which an underwater camera shoots the lower halves of water polo players treading water. Their legs thrash about but their bodies remain in place, a disconcerting image made more so by a chorus of male voices crying out in unison as part of composer Johan Lenox’s score.
Cinematographer Steven Breckon shot on 35mm film, creating a retro effect that transports viewers to this stressful past. Aside from a few overt moments of body horror, such as when Ben discovers rashes like Eli’s spreading across his torso, most of the terror comes from the anxiety-inducing score and Polinger’s clever visual perspectives. His camera creeps around corners, mimicking the bullies’ watchful eyes. He often zooms in on the boys’ faces, which betray the conflicted emotions they mask with overconfident brags.
While “The Plague” tells a specific story, it speaks to the larger conversation about a “masculinity crisis.” Some toxic codes of conduct are adopted early in life. Boys like Jake model their behavior off the adults around them. They learn to reject people different from them so they can feel superior.
This plague may not be real, but it’s on us to keep the brutality from spreading.
R. At AMC Columbia, AMC Hoffman Center, AMC Rio and AMC Potomac Mills. Contains mature language, sexual material, self-harm/bloody images, and some drug and alcohol use — all involving children. 95 minutes.
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