![‘The Plague’ Review: Charlie Polinger’s Stylish, Bombastic Debut Feature Has Little Emotion Under The Surface [Cannes]](https://cdn.theplaylist.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/16120413/THE-PLAGUE-Charlie-POLINGER-Photos-Joel-Edgerton-Cannes.jpg "‘The Plague’ Review: Charlie Polinger’s Stylish, Bombastic Debut Feature Has Little Emotion Under The Surface [Cannes]")
How does society treat those it perceives as different? “The Plague” highlights painful realities of childhood hierarchies and bullying. Set at a water polo camp, its incapacitated environment only helps to build the dramatic tension. The film is written and directed by Charlie Polinger. The project is Polinger’s first feature-length film, having an impressive debut at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. He is currently at work on a new cinematic adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death.”
The drama sees Everett Blunck portray the beleaguered Ben, a target of the camp’s bullies. The Playlist’s review notes that Blunck “steals that spotlight,” adding “one wishes the film had given his performance more space to breathe.” Kayo Martin’s performance as Ben’s fiendish peer, Jake, is equally impressive. The young actors find a solid adult presence in “The King” star Joel Edgerton. This versatile actor has a list of memorable roles, including Tom Buchanan in 2013’s “The Great Gatsby” and his acclaimed turn in the upcoming Netflix awards player “Train Dreams.” The ‘Plague’ cast also features Kenny Rasmussen as Eli.
The film’s official synopsis:
At an all-boys water polo camp, a socially anxious twelve-year-old is pulled into a cruel tradition targeting an outcast with an illness they call ‘The Plague.” But as the lines between game and reality blur, he fears the joke might be hiding something real.
A young boy struggles against an established set of bullies in “The Plague.” The film will open in select theaters on December 24, with an expansion planned for January 2. Watch the new trailer below.
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