98%-Rated Slasher Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma Wins Praise for Mixing Horror Nostalgia With a Bold Modern Twist

A struggling slasher franchise gets an unexpected second chance when a young filmmaker is hired to revive it — only for her growing obsession with the original movie’s reclusive “final girl” to become just as important as the bloodshed on screen.

That is the premise behind Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, Jane Schoenbrun’s new queer slasher starring Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson. Following preview screenings, the film has already generated enthusiastic reactions from critics and horror fans, earning an impressive 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The movie arrives during a particularly strong period for horror. Recent releases including Obsession and Backrooms, along with 2025’s Weapons, have continued to demonstrate the genre’s ability to attract attention while experimenting with familiar formulas.

Slasher movies, of course, have been reinventing themselves for decades. From Psycho and 1978’s Halloween to Scream, which revitalised the format in 1996 through its self-aware approach, some of the genre’s most memorable films have found new ways to play with established conventions.

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma attempts something similar, using the familiar framework of a fading horror franchise to explore identity, desire and the complicated legacy of slasher cinema.

A filmmaker becomes fascinated by the franchise’s original star

Hannah Einbinder plays Kris Williams, a young director handed responsibility for the next entry in the fictional Camp Miasma franchise.

The series was once successful, but a succession of disappointing sequels has left it in desperate need of reinvention. Kris is brought in with the hope that she can breathe new life into the property.

Her attention, however, increasingly turns toward Billy Presley, played by Gillian Anderson.

Billy starred as the original movie’s “final girl” before abruptly walking away from acting. As Kris becomes increasingly fascinated by her, their relationship develops into a central part of the story.

Against its deliberately bloody slasher backdrop, the film examines desire, awakening and Kris’s fixation on the woman whose performance helped define the franchise she is now attempting to resurrect.

Amanda Fix also appears alongside Anderson and Einbinder in the cast.

Critics praise Jane Schoenbrun’s approach

Early critical reactions have highlighted the film’s willingness to examine slasher conventions rather than simply reproduce them.

Critic Randy Myers praised Schoenbrun’s storytelling and creative ambition, while Matt Goldberg highlighted the film’s combination of genre analysis and emotional vulnerability.

Patrick McDonald similarly pointed to its layered symbolism, humour and commentary on the patriarchal traditions associated with slasher films.

Those responses have helped the movie reach a 98% Rotten Tomatoes score ahead of its full UK theatrical release.

Horror fans call it original, nostalgic and ‘trippy’

Audience reactions from early screenings have been similarly enthusiastic.

One viewer described the experience as “trippy, all consuming, nostalgic” and praised its performances, awarding the film 10/10.

Another called it an “incredible slasher” and particularly recommended experiencing its painted backgrounds on the big screen.

One fan was so intrigued by the film that they watched it twice in succession, praising the combination of mesmerising scenery and bloody chaos.

Others have highlighted how Schoenbrun draws inspiration from classic horror while still giving the movie a distinctive identity. One viewer praised it for being playful, funny and deliberately silly while still having something meaningful to say.

Another reaction simply summed up the experience as: “wow wow wow a lot to unpack”.

When is Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma released?

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma officially arrives in UK cinemas on Friday, August 21.

Preview screenings and selected 35mm presentations began on August 13, with screenings already taking place at a number of Vue, Everyman and Picturehouse cinemas.

With its combination of slasher nostalgia, meta commentary, striking visuals and the unusual pairing of Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson, the film is already emerging as one of the more distinctive horror releases of the year.