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To stand out as a teenager is to make yourself a target. The pack mentality that dominates most group settings for children renders conformity a survival imperative; Ben (Everett Blunck) understands this as a recent Boston transplant attending the Tom Lerner Water Polo Academy for the first time. He instantly notices that the rambunctious Jake (Kayo Martin) is the ringleader in their small all-male cohort, and the quiet Eli (Kenny Rasmussen) is the designated punching bag. Owing to a skin condition, Jake and his cronies have started a rumour that Eli has a contagious plague and continually ostracise him, yet Eli, at least on the surface, appears strangely unbothered by their bullying. Is his apparent placidity a symptom of his illness? Jake and co certainly believe so, while their well-meaning coach (a masterful performance of ineffectualness by Joel Edgerton) remains relatively ignorant to the barbaric interpersonal dynamics of his young wards.<\/p>\n
Charlie Polinger\u2019s feature debut deftly \u00a0navigates the excruciating tensions of preteendom, but The Plague<\/em> also captures something less overtly explored in cinema: the difficulty of navigating the world as a neurodivergent individual. Eli\u2019s exclusion from the group due to his perceived difference is the more obvious part of this narrative, but Jake\u2019s frustration at (and perhaps envy of) Eli\u2019s refusal to conform is key to the story\u2019s freshness. This illuminates a rarely discussed part of the neurodivergent experience, revealing the complex intersection of lower and higher support needs, yet this specificity is not exclusory; anyone who has experienced or indeed observed the social pecking order of childhood will likely recognise some element of The Plague, <\/em>particularly given the stellar performances Polinger has captured from his young cast.<\/p>\n Taking a few cues from Julia Ducournau\u2019s Raw\u00a0<\/em>and Bo Burnham\u2019s\u00a0Eighth Grade\u00a0<\/em>with a shade of Josephine Decker\u2019s\u00a0Madeline\u2019s Madeline<\/em> in its frantic, breathy sound design, a palette dominated by greens, blues, browns and greys creates a claustrophobic atmosphere in which a pubescent blow-up never feels very far away. It\u2019s an impressive addition to the coming-of-age canon, a modern take on \u2018Lord of the Flies\u2019 that doesn\u2019t pull its punches. While the lack of adult oversight for these feral pre-teens may raise an eyebrow, Polinger positions the audience squarely at eye level, and as a youngster it really can feel like you\u2019re totally alone even surrounded by supposedly responsible adults. Yet Polinger also resists the temptation to offer trite messages of support or overt self-acceptance; the film\u2019s conclusion stings like the chlorinated pool water the group spend hours splashing around in.<\/p>\n It\u2019s an auspicious debut for Polinger, technically ambitious and fiercely observant of adolescent anxieties. Sink or swim, the scars of childhood last much longer than any summer school.<\/p>\n To keep celebrating the craft of film, we have to rely on the support of our members. Join Club LWLies today and receive access to a host of benefits.<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nGet more Little White Lies<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n