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“There’s something evil here isn’t there?”
After a series of tragic events, Emily decides to take a summer job as a counselor at a Christian kids camp. Her initial worries about not fitting in because she has no faith melt away quickly, as she almost immediately bonds with the other women counselors. As they drink, make out, and dance the summer away, the group’s real purpose for coming together each year is revealed – and Emily must decide if she’ll join them in their secret quest, or leave the only place she’s experienced true happiness.
Part slow-burn meditation, part fever dream, CAMP drifts between grief, desire, and the hellish realities of growing up in a female body and healing from trauma. Set against the lush backdrop of Camp Eden, the film plays like a hazy memory: glistening lakewater, flickering sunlight, and the power of nature always up front and center.
At its center is a mesmerizing performance from Zola Grimmer as Emily, whose quiet unraveling anchors the film. Watching her sense of slipping sanity—caught between mourning, regret, and suspicion—guides the viewer through the film’s magical spell.
CAMP pulses with queer longing, sacrifice, and the possibility of peace born from surrender. Its mood gives big THE VIRGIN SUICIDES vibes — that same coded femininity, that same blurred line between liberation and entrapment. Director Avalon Fast leans into ambiguity, trusting atmosphere over exposition, crafting a story all about feeling: the ache of being a woman, the impossible demands, the hunger for power and connection.
The score backs up her visuals by creating a connection and familiarity with the scenes, punctuated at the end with emotionally resonant songs crafted by Screamo band I Hate Sex and Sterling Mackenzie.
Truly one of the most beautiful and painful stories I’ve ever seen about coming-of-age, healing, and finding your true family. Don’t miss this one!
CAMP is currently playing at Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX and won “Best Picture” in the New Wave Features category!
I Love Splatter! 