Cult Horror Director Explores Dark Themes in Camp Miasma

WHO:

Deadline - Jane Schoenbrun is the director of "Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma."

Deadline - Hannah Einbinder stars as Kris Williams, a queer director in the film.

CNN - Gillian Anderson plays Billy, a reclusive actress in the film.

CNN - Amanda Fix plays a teenage girl named Billy in the film.

CNN - Payton McCarty-Simas is a film critic and writer who commented on the film.

CNN - Sarah Sherman plays Kris' agent in the film.

WHAT:

CNN - "Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma" is a slasher fantasy film that critiques horror's transphobic tropes.

CNN - The film scored the Queer Palm at the Cannes Film Festival.

CNN - The film explores themes of bad sex and self-actualization.

CNN - The film features a villain named Little Death, who uses a harpoon to kill teens.

CNN - The film portrays sex as a playful and tender experience, contrasting with traditional horror tropes.

WHERE:

CNN - The film is set at an abandoned camp where the original "Camp Miasma" was filmed.

WHEN:

CNN - The film is described as Schoenbrun's most mainstream venture yet, with a real marketing budget.

WHY:

CNN - Schoenbrun aims to critique the transphobic imagery in horror films and create a liberatory narrative.

CNN - The film addresses the challenges of being present in one's body and identity, particularly in the context of sex.

HOW:

CNN - Schoenbrun describes the process of directing sex scenes as "emotionally visceral" and reflective of the film's themes.

CNN - The film uses the slasher genre to explore sexual rituals and gender deviance.

(UPDATED August 10, 2026 16:18 UTC)

"Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma," directed by Jane Schoenbrun, is a slasher fantasy film that critiques horror's transphobic tropes and explores themes of bad sex and self-actualization. The movie features a cast that includes Hannah Einbinder as a queer director named Kris Williams, Gillian Anderson as a reclusive actress, and Amanda Fix as a teenage girl also named Billy, all set in an abandoned camp where the original "Camp Miasma" was filmed. With its playful portrayal of sex and a villain named Little Death who uses a harpoon, the film aims to challenge traditional horror imagery while creating a liberatory narrative around identity and presence in one's body.