Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (2026)

Words by Charlotte Blyth

As the Resident Lesbian Reviewer of the Fleapit, Boss Flea provided me with two passes to the Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma media screening at Palace Cinemas Central. 

I clipped my carabiner to my belt, laced up my Doc Martens, and forced my girlfriend to come with me. I was ready to be my best lesbian self to represent the esteemed organisation known as the Fleapit. 

I enter the cinema, and find a turn out of roughly 8 old men. It was a bittersweet feeling to be the only lesbians in the room. 

The film concludes and one man turns to make direct eye contact with me. 

‘Interesting film, wasn’t it?’ He said, an unintelligible look across his face. 

Oh God, I thought to myself. Here we go...

The man begins to express how he didn’t quite understand all the ‘trans and polyamorous stuff’ in the film and laughs about the fact that his friend (also an older assumedly heterosexual man) left half way through the film because he hated it so much. 

Now, I could end the review here, because if that doesn’t convince you that this film is fucking awesome then I don’t know what will. But I guess I’ll continue anyway. 

The man then asks me if I am familiar with the fact that ‘Little Death’ (the name of the film’s villain) is a euphemism for an orgasm. Externally I’m doing some of my best ‘just smile and nod’ work, but it was at this moment that I realised Jane is doing something truly special in Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma. They are carving out a space on the silver screen where gay people are allowed to be weird and horny, whilst simultaneously teaching the average straight dude who doesn’t get the whole ‘being transgender thing’. Jane has achieved an incredibly well crafted balance, one of the main reasons why I think they will be regarded as one of the defining filmmakers of our generation, or at least that they should be. I know that’s a huge claim - but just go watch the film and then get back to me. 

What could be viewed as a thematic follow up to I Saw the TV Glow, Teenage Sex and Death follows queer director Kris (Hannah Einbinder) as they set out on creating a ‘politically correct’ reboot of the transphobic slasher franchise ‘Camp Miasma’. As part of her preparation, Kris visits Billy (Gillian Anderson), the original final girl of the series turned recluse who seemingly never left the camp. Together they discover that what happens in the movies might be more reality than fiction. Kris discovers that ‘Little Death’ is very much real and lurking at the bottom of the lake, waiting to make his next attack. 

To me, what sets Teenage Sex apart from the rest of Jane's filmography, is the self-reflexive nature of the film, to the point where I, as the viewer, feel like I belong in the world of Camp Miasma. A large portion of the film follows Kris and Billy as they watch the original Camp Miasma film, presented through over the shoulder shots framing the two women beautifully with a beam of projector light; you can’t help but notice that you are doing the exact same thing. This inviting quality Jane has managed to cultivate is why I feel like Teenage Sex is their most accessible film yet. We have quite literally been given our own seat in the cinema. Jane is also utilising the point of view shot in a way I have never quite seen. Jane allows us to exist in the world of Camp Miasma through the eyes of its antagonist and watch some of the most camp, fantastical, gory murders as if we are the one who wields the sword.

It is the character of ‘Little Death’ that I think is what makes this film truly special. An exceptional performance by Jack Haven, returning from I Saw The TV Glow, crafts perhaps the most interesting and original character I’ve seen on screen in years. Although we rarely see the face of ‘Little Death’, Haven is giving the performance of a lifetime with a simple look in their eye. It would be remiss to not mention here that both Jane and Jack are transgender and non-binary, and their innate understanding of gender is clearly influential to the role of Little Death in a significant way that seems too complex and spiritual to distill into words, or maybe I’m just cisgender and can’t tap into the frequency they are operating at. Yet, I came away from the film with a newfound understanding and connection to my own gender, and to me this is exactly why we need to give more trans filmmakers more money! Films about gender aren’t just impactful for trans people, it’s time studio heads realise that we all have pronouns. 

Finally, the moment you’ve all been waiting for, what did the Resident Lesbian Reviewer think of the lesbian plot. The answer is I’m very satisfied, thank you very much Jane Schoenbrun. Besides the surface level truth that Einbinder and Anderson make for an incredibly hot couple with ridiculous amounts of chemistry, what I found most refreshing was the sex. Lesbian sex in films is so often glamourised, usually with the aim of appealing to straight men with a fetish, and often with a man behind the camera too. Here, Jane does something pretty groundbreaking, showing sex as something both transformative and messy. Seeing Anderson and Einbinder lay together, post-orgasm, covered in blood, I realised Jane’s true genius in representing queer intimacy as something that transcends life itself, but also in creating a generational lesbian halloween costume. 

And so for all of the above, thank you Jane. I’m already sitting in the cinema waiting for your next one.

Pick of the Week
This week, I recommend you head out and see something queer! Let a thousand blossoms bloom! See Jane's latest, see Paris is Burning (again), see But I'm A Cheerleader.

New Releases - Thursday 6 August

• Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (Jane Schoenbrun)
• Holy Days (Nathalie Boltt)