The Plague

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The Plague

R

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1h 38m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

98 Reviews

66%

Popcornmeter

50+ Verified Ratings

In the summer of 2003, at an all-boys summer water polo camp, socially anxious twelve-year-old Ben struggles to fit in amidst a ruthless social hierarchy. When he befriends Eli -- a lonely, acne-ridden outcast shunned by the others for allegedly carrying a contagious "plague" -- Ben becomes entangled in a cruel, escalating ritual of scapegoating and fear. As the lines between teasing and real harm blur, Ben is forced to confront his own complicity and the terrifying cost of belonging. A tense, darkly humorous coming-of-age story about masculinity, peer pressure, and the horrors that fester when cruelty masquerades as a game.

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Critics Consensus

Steeped in disquieting mood without ever treading water, The Plague takes common adolescent anxieties and elevates them into an unforgettable chiller.

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Kyle Logan

Chicago Reader

6d

Rather than deliver any sense of tension and release or thematic heft, The Plague remains a sometimes beautifully realized but ultimately hollow and frustrating hour and a half spent with selfish tween boys.

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Adam Nayman

The Ringer

Jan 2

3/4

The story is set in 2003, a period expertly evoked via strategic scattering of vintage track suits and portable CD players. But its grim vision of masculinity toxifying in real time gives it the feeling of a movie of the moment.

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Peter Travers

The Travers Take

Jan 2

3.5/4

A terrifying first film in which a tween water polo team becomes a "Lord of the Flies" metaphor for the hell of modern bullying. The scares are killer, but it’s the violence of the adolescent mind that hits hardest.

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Gregg Shapiro

Bay Area Reporter

20h

A-

By the stunning conclusion, you may find yourself gasping for air after a dive into the deep end, with the revelation that the plague may well be teenage boys.

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Robert Roten

Laramie Movie Scope

2d

C

The psychological damage caused by the cruelty of children can be tragic. This movie effectively demonstrates this cruelty and how not to deal with it. It also demonstrates betrayal of a friendship, and the emotional consequences of that.

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Robin Clifford

Reeling Reviews

Jan 17

B

It is a good study of kids and group behavior. It is also a study of kindness...

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John C

Jan 18

Requires patience but more than well worth it. Subtle but builds to a walloping impact overall, despite its subtilty. Or perhaps because of it. Really exceptional, especially for such a sensitive and complex topic.

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Aspen

Jan 12

There is no beginning and no end too this movie. No TRUE plot line , just boys being bullied under the disguise of thriller with their being 0 thrill aspect. BUT the acting of these young actors was incredible which is the only redeeming factor of this movie.

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Mick E

Jan 8

Terrifying, Triggering, Great acting & direction.

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jesse v

Jan 8

you know, having only one adult that the adultery-written kids rely on doesn't make this movie about bullying in a gigantic pool academy with tons of other people around any clear like water.

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Barbara

Jan 7

The lead actor— Everett Blunck—gives a phenomenal performance.

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Tobias Forge

Jan 7

That camp needed some closer adult supervision! Offbeat little slice of life film covering the horrors of preteen boys with their distressing lack of empathy. Very well done, but most audiences will be baffled by the marketing of this film.

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Charlie Polinger

Director

Joel Edgerton

Daddy Wags

Everett Blunck

Ben

Kayo Martin

Jake

Kenny Rasmussen

Eli

Lennox Espy

Julian

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The Plague: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

In the summer of 2003, at an all-boys summer water polo camp, socially anxious twelve-year-old Ben struggles to fit in amidst a ruthless social hierarchy. When he befriends Eli -- a lonely, acne-ridden outcast shunned by the others for allegedly carrying a contagious "plague" -- Ben becomes entangled in a cruel, escalating ritual of scapegoating and fear. As the lines between teasing and real harm blur, Ben is forced to confront his own complicity and the terrifying cost of belonging. A tense, darkly humorous coming-of-age story about masculinity, peer pressure, and the horrors that fester when cruelty masquerades as a game.

Director: Charlie Polinger
Producer: Lizzie Shapiro, Lucy McKendrick, Joel Edgerton, Steven Schneider, Roy Lee, Derek Dauchy
Screenwriter: Charlie Polinger
Distributor: Independent Film Company
Production Co: Five Henrys Productions, Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Spooky Pictures, The Space Program, Hellcat
Rating: R (Some Drug and Alcohol Use|Language|Sexual Material|Self-Harm/Bloody Images)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 24, 2025, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $684.0K
Runtime: 1h 38m

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