The Plague. A bullying tale as old as time.
by Brandon Norwood
Middle school and high school suck. Once kids hit the age of ten, most become little assholes (I know. I used to work with kids). In his debut feature, Charlie Polinger has crafted maybe one of the most terrifying thrillers ever made.
In 2003, Ben (Everett Blunck) attends an all-boys water polo summer camp, Desperate to fit in, Ben joins in on bullying outsider Eli (Kenny Rasmussen). Feeling guilty, Ben starts to empathize with Eli and helps him out, which quickly leads to the ringleader, Jake (Kayo Martin), targeting and ostracizing Ben with a rumor that Ben has contracted "the plague" from Eli, leading to escalating, unfortunate events.
Image courtesy of Independent Film Company
This movie was triggering for me. If you've ever been an outsider, you're gonna empathize with both Eli and Ben immediately. I get where Ben is coming from as he wants to fit in, and we all know how that turns out, as people like Jake will turn on you on a dime as they're too cool to face consequences. The only difference now is that more teachers like Joel Edgerton's Daddy Wags don't tolerate this shit than there was when I was growing up. Most would either gaslight you or turn a blind eye to bullying.
Image courtesy of Independent Film Company
Speaking of Joel, I have to commend him for coming on as both a producer and a co-star, as this film is important in highlighting the tolls that this takes mentally and psychologically on people. Even film critics bully. And it's always the people from the top outlets who are beloved by the film community (DM me for names).
Be warned. This movie is not for the faint of heart. But it is a must-see. There's a scene near the end of the film that had me wishing for the blanket party from Full Metal Jacket than what these kids do to Ben. Worst of all is that the parents (again I worked in the school) do not care and actively encourage this type of behavior. We all need to do better.
Image courtesy of Independent Film Company
7 slaps from the Hands of Zeus with lightning bolts out of ten,