The Plague

Ben (Everett Blunck) tries to fit in at camp in The Plague (Distributed by IFC Films)

Bullying, fitting in, puberty, individuality; these are terrifying concepts for kids making that awkward transition between childhood and becoming teenagers. At that age, it is scary to be yourself when you have no idea if you will be accepted. Especially if you are new. The very unsettling slow-burn psychological thriller The Plague tackles this premise in an abstract way.

It is about a group of twelve and thirteen year old boys at a water polo camp in 2003. The year is largely irrelevant to the story, though the setting is crucial. The isolation, sticking these kids in a private space where they compete, shower together and sleep in the same room, creates a tension they are not nearly mature enough to comprehend. It then adds in a “sickness” that may or may not be real, that they use as an excuse to shun and humiliate.

It is an allegory with no answer that is fascinating precisely because we are watching people who don’t really understand what they are experiencing. It is unnerving to see kids going through this, yet what the movie is showing us isn’t that extreme, minus the titular malady. Kids can be cruel. The Plague (91 minutes, without the end credits) explores how that feels in an empathetic and convincingly painful way.

Ben is the new kid at water polo camp. A little nervous, he tries to make friends with the other boys. That immediately puts him in the crosshairs of Jake, a perceptive bully. Then Ben notices Eli, an odd boy the other kids make a big show of staying away from. Jake tells him Eli has “the plague” and you have to keep your distance from him or you’ll get it too. Is this a game Jake made up to punish those who are different? Or is it real?

In his debut film, writer/director Charlie Polinger has done an incredible job with mood. The camp, with its long hallways, large swimming pools, locker room and bunk, comes off as an ominous place. An opportunity for humiliation is around every corner. Polinger keeps this feeling like a horror movie throughout. Nothing is exaggerated, besides the possibility of the plague being real. Everything else is sadly accurate to what kids that age are like, especially in this type of group. There is one ringleader and the rest follow, mostly out of fear that they could be a target if they don’t.

Jake is a bully. This is clear from the first scene with him. Ben, a stranger, sits at the lunch table with everyone and tries to join in on the conversation. They all seem willing, until Jake chimes in, making fun of the way Ben says “stop” and instantly marks him as different. Now Ben needs suck up to Jake, take his abuse, if he wants to be accepted. This is Jake flexing, showing his importance to hide his insecurities. If Ben wants to fit in, he has to be mean to Eli.

The “plague,” if we read into the metaphor, seems to be individuality. Eli doesn’t care what others think. He is goofy and not afraid who knows it. That makes him stand out. Since nobody wants to be rejected, they have to play along. It is either that or be an outcast. Ben, a nice kid just hoping to make some friends, doesn’t want to be a bully. His struggle to be himself, but not catch the plague, is uncomfortable and all too relatable.

The Plague is a very clever take on this subject matter. The fact that Polinger presents this without any solutions or a definitive climax just makes it even more effective. These are boys with only a vague idea of what sex is and their biggest fear is being considered different. Kindness is worthy of mockery. This does not feel like a movie about kids made by an out-of-touch adult. Polinger understands this world all too well. This is a pretty darn good first effort.

3¾ out of 5

Cast:

Everett Blunck as Ben

Kayo Martin as Jake

Kenny Rasmussen as Eli

Joel Edgerton as Daddy Wags

Written/Directed by Charlie Polinger