The Plague: Preying on the Insecurities of Adolescence

Kids are the worst, a sentiment that is undoubtedly shared by most audiences. A product of the time, everyone has had to go through that stage growing up, with some experiences faring better than others. For the most part, it is all about survival and as generations come and go, the path to survival has changed accordingly. One’s early teenage years are one of the most important stages in someone’s life, one where a person begins to craft their own identity, embarking on a journey of a self-discovery. Full of insecurities and conflicting thoughts and feelings as we discover ourselves and the world around us, it certainly helps to be surrounded by a more supportive environment, but that is often not the case, going back to those aforementioned kids. Either way, we have to find a way through it. The Plague is a psychological thriller based on those formative years, crafting a tense story that preys on that vulnerable state. Constantly pulling at the string of one awkward teen’s fragile psyche ever so slightly until it completely unravels, the result is truly powerful to watch. Accentuating that descent with some strong atmospheric work, and a great score, the major impediment here is getting on the film’s level when it comes to its premise and predominantly young cast. To their credit, its cast of mostly newcomers deliver standout performances, led by a star-making turn from Everett Blunck and Joel Edgerton. Though some may not quite relate to this particular batch of tweens, the essence of the story is still effective.

Set in an all-boys water polo camp, The Plague is centered around Ben (Blunck), a 12-year-old boy and a newcomer to the camp. Ingratiating himself with the ‘cool’ kids, led by Jake (Martin), he found himself pulled into the cruel tradition where outcasts in the camp where targeted with an alleged illness called ‘The Plague.’ The so-called condition transmitted by touch, and those afflicted would first break out in pimples before later losing motor functions and then having their brains turn to mush. The current recipient of the moniker was Eli (Kenny Rasmussen), an odd boy whose eccentricities left him ostracized and kept at a distance by the others in the group. Whether or not the condition was real was debatable, but a big reason why the tradition has survived for so long is all the others who have played along, unwilling to be given the moniker themselves. Still learning the inner workings of the camp and the group dynamic, Jake, and much of the returning camp goers, were responsible in keeping ‘The Plague’ alive. This left Ben stuck in the middle, somewhere between going along with the majority and wanting to fit in, and showing empathy and concern for Eli. Jake, and his crew, were definitely of the rowdy variety, running roughshod under the nose of their coach, a man they referred to as “Daddy Wags” (Edgerton).

Over the course of the film, the amount of leeway these boys, and their behavior, are given can get a bit ridiculous at times but Ben could only play along for so long. However, his concern for Eli, witnessing his bullying from afar, and his fascination with ‘The Plague’ threatened to upset his position in the pecking order of the camp social hierarchy. Allegedly transmitted by touch, to protect one’s self, they should vigorously wash any part of their body that may have come in contact with it. Touched by the previous holder of the illness, Eli appeared to show the stages of the infection, pimple like sores, loss of motor function, and diminished brain activity, while that holder now found themselves in a mental institution. Getting closer to him, Ben became more acquainted with Eli and his condition to try to better understand the situation, as opposed to others who just accepted it as the way it was. More than just a lost cause that came across a little different from everyone else, ‘The Plague’ was seemingly a mark on anyone who didn’t conform. In the end, it was only a matter of time until the arbitrary gap camp goers kept between themselves and the afflicted started to narrow, as Ben somehow came into contact with Eli and quickly started to show signs of an infection.

Still unsure of whether or not ‘The Plague’ was a real thing, or just something in his head, severe anxiety took over as he tried to make sense of the situation, or at least as well as a 12-year-old can. An emotional wreck, the film shifts into a full on psychological thriller as it unravels Ben’s fragile psyche in slow burn fashion, turning the dial up in terms of atmosphere, score, and haunting imagery. The line between fantasy and reality began to blur, as what spawned out of a joke may very well be hiding something real. With the pressure at an all time high, his relationship with Eli did not go unnoticed by Jake. What many would consider as the ringleader of the group, he marked Ben with ‘The Plague.’ In a desperate attempt to salvage his position in the group, he was adamant to prove to the others that he did not have it, and that it was not real. Spiralling from there, Jake, and his cronies, did not help the situation as he became the latest target of their bullying tactics. When it looked like there would be no way out for Ben, the answers proved to be within. Once fearing the stigma placed on those who were different, the key is to embrace those differences. A subtext used to explore the toxic masculinity prevalent in the everyday, the film simmers it down to a disease that one could take to their manhood, if they are not careful.

The feature debut of writer-director Charlie Polinger, The Plague shows promise on both sides of the camera, crafting a different kind of coming-of-age story that operates within the fear of the unknown and the anxiety of growing up. Effectively operating in that uneasy territory, the film was not without flaws. The behavior of the bullies do exceed the realm of believability on multiple occasions. Similarly, the lack of lore behind ‘The Plague’ may leave some audiences with unanswered questions, but, in reality, it is merely a means to an end for a deeper exploration of the fears of growing up and the ups and downs of discovering one’s own identity during our formative years. Playing out on a psychological level, Blunck shows his age, but also maturity and talent beyond his years, and is more than up to the challenge on an emotional level. As Ben, he juggles conflicting feelings, both drawn to and uncomfortable with the actions of his peers. Martin is a charming as he is slimy as Jack and Rasmussen is fearless and scene-stealing as Eli. Edgerton, in a small role, shine as the camp coach and an authority figure unable to tend to Ben’s pain.

The Plague offers up a fresh take on the coming-of-age story, preying on the terror and unease of growing up, led by a talented young cast.

still courtesy of IFC Films

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.