Hannah Einbinder stars as Kris, a director adapting the fictional slasher franchise Camp Miasma, while Gillian Anderson plays Billy Wilder, the original final girl from the 1983 film. The project, directed by Jane Schoenbrun, reimagines the slasher genre through a queer, meta-narrative lens, blending horror with psychosexual exploration.
Einbinder and Anderson collaborate on slasher film with feminist twist
Einbinder described the film’s genre ambiguity as a key draw, telling Newsweek that the project’s use of slasher tropes to deliver an empowering narrative felt "cool" and unlike anything she had seen before. "The conceit of the film and the way that it uses horror slasher tropes to ultimately be something that is empowering is just cool," she said. Anderson, who portrays the original final girl revisiting her past, noted the film’s meta-aspects during production. "Stepping onto a set that has been so perfectly production designed and created for the sole purpose of the viewing public... there’s a meta aspect of it that I don’t even think I anticipated," she told Newsweek.
The film follows Kris as she seeks to cast Anderson’s Billy Wilder—who played the final girl in the original Camp Miasma—in a new installment. Their dynamic evolves into a psychosexual exploration, with Anderson’s Billy emerging from retirement to engage in a flirtatious, campy performance that critiques the genre’s conventions. Los Angeles Times described Anderson’s portrayal as a "full face of femme fatale makeup and a syrupy Dolly Parton drawl," adding that her performance oscillates between camp and dramatic range.
Meta horror and queer themes drive narrative innovation
Schoenbrun, who also wrote the film, has framed the project as a personal statement, with LA Times noting that the director "essentially sliced out their soul and smeared it on the screen." The film’s structure includes a fictionalized version of Billy Wilder, played by Amanda Fix, whose teenage portrayal contrasts with Anderson’s mature, self-aware take. Critics highlight the film’s blend of gore, romance, and genre subversion, with LA Times calling it a "witty, gory slasher-romance that feels so personal."
Anderson emphasized the film’s inclusivity, telling Newsweek that it "speaks to so many different subsections" of audiences, positioning the project beyond a mere genre exercise. Einbinder’s Kris, a Sundance darling and Schoenbrun avatar, navigates the pressures of studio expectations while attempting to reclaim the narrative of a male-driven franchise. The film’s climax features a close-up of Einbinder’s character, described by LA Times as a moment that "puts the film back in her pocket."
Production and reception details
The film’s production design and meta-commentary on fandom have drawn attention, with Anderson noting the scrutiny the set would face from audiences. The project’s title, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, reflects its dual focus on adolescence and mortality, while the fictional killer, Little Death, is depicted with an air-conditioning vent for a face. The film’s blend of horror and queer romance has been praised for its originality, with critics noting its potential to resonate with diverse viewers.
The collaboration between Einbinder and Anderson has been highlighted as a central draw, with their on-screen chemistry serving as a vehicle for the film’s thematic explorations. Anderson’s performance, in particular, has been singled out for its range, from loud cackles to quiet glances, while Fix’s teenage Billy Wilder adds a layer of vulnerability to the narrative.
The film is scheduled for release in 2025, with early screenings generating buzz for its innovative approach to the slasher genre.