There are enough hints that the ending is somewhat predictable--or I thought so at least
. Still a pretty fun movie. Boys in short shorts and cutoff tees abound, rather than the requisite naked girls typically demanded by genre conventions (and deliberately avoided here). Actually it was kind of cool to see the queer subtext in an otherwise typical slasher flick, even if it is somewhat exploitative.
Typical '80s low-budget teen slasher saved from obscurity by an unexpected and disturbing ending. Well, it certainly surprised me when I saw this in the theater.
Knowing the twist ending going in really does diminish the shock of it. Other twist movies like Sixth Sense or Pyscho are still great even if you know the ending, but this one is just felt like a long build up to little pay off. If you dont know the twist ending, watch it before its spoiled for you. Besides that, its a fun little 80s slasher. A weird balance of naturalistic acting with John Waters like cutaways. Props to the writers for giving kids dialogue that actually feel like stuff kids would say (a lot of immature swearing)
For the most part, this was just an OK slasher that runs a little too long. Some of the effects are pretty cool, namely the burning flesh and the bees. The kills are just a bit too far in-between and not that notable, and the hijinks of the summer camp just don't hold the attention for long.
There are a couple scenes that stand out though.
We are briefly introduced to the Aunt at the beginning, someone described this as Lynchian and that is very accurate in how unsettling it is. In the middle, we get a sort of flashback that reveals Angela's father was gay and there was some sort of sexual experimentation between the siblings as children. And of course there is the ending, which besides the layers of context, is actually quite terrifying and not just shocking.
One way I read the twist ending, is that Angela was forced to be identified as a girl when before their family was killed, the child was a boy. Here the Aunt is the horrible villain and the social pressures that she puts on Angela are echoed in the pressures Angela feels at the summer camp. The Horror comes from being forced to be a gender you do not identify with.
However this read of the themes of Sleepaway Camp may not be what the director was intending, and not everyone who saw this especially in 1983 thought about it that way. In the context of the rest of the movie, where we mostly see misogynistic and base behavior, the themes come off more transphobic.
Either way we get into weird territory of "death of the author" and "separating the art from the artist" where the piece of art can serve to more wholesome and understanding interpretations than what the writer intended. I would then recommend this movie, if not just for the discussion it can bring about.
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the3rdman
Tallowyck
Typical '80s low-budget teen slasher saved from obscurity by an unexpected and disturbing ending. Well, it certainly surprised me when I saw this in the theater.A Blue Roar
It feels dumb to say the same as everyone else, but the ending blew me completely away.Aissi
I guessed the twist about 2 minutes before the reveal, which made the film feel kind of pointless :(That said, I didn't understand the ending. I get that
corchap
we all love the ending!nowhereman136
Knowing the twist ending going in really does diminish the shock of it. Other twist movies like Sixth Sense or Pyscho are still great even if you know the ending, but this one is just felt like a long build up to little pay off. If you dont know the twist ending, watch it before its spoiled for you. Besides that, its a fun little 80s slasher. A weird balance of naturalistic acting with John Waters like cutaways. Props to the writers for giving kids dialogue that actually feel like stuff kids would say (a lot of immature swearing)Blade22
the ending is very shocking...nick121235
The absolute best non- Italian giallo I have ever seen.Unreal BE
ending is pure genius.mcmakattack
Hooptober XLGBTQ+ connected film
For the most part, this was just an OK slasher that runs a little too long. Some of the effects are pretty cool, namely the burning flesh and the bees. The kills are just a bit too far in-between and not that notable, and the hijinks of the summer camp just don't hold the attention for long.
There are a couple scenes that stand out though.
One way I read the twist ending, is that Angela was forced to be identified as a girl when before their family was killed, the child was a boy. Here the Aunt is the horrible villain and the social pressures that she puts on Angela are echoed in the pressures Angela feels at the summer camp. The Horror comes from being forced to be a gender you do not identify with.
However this read of the themes of Sleepaway Camp may not be what the director was intending, and not everyone who saw this especially in 1983 thought about it that way. In the context of the rest of the movie, where we mostly see misogynistic and base behavior, the themes come off more transphobic.
Either way we get into weird territory of "death of the author" and "separating the art from the artist" where the piece of art can serve to more wholesome and understanding interpretations than what the writer intended. I would then recommend this movie, if not just for the discussion it can bring about.
dajmasta94
I guessed the ending like 45 minutes in but it’s still a pretty hilarious final reveal.Matt Addis
typical derivative 80's teen slasher...of course until the ending.and to the person that said this was the "hottest ending" they had seen in a long time
wtf man. she's 14
Cassiodoro
Best ending ever!Jumping Elephant
as many have said, the ending is the best element of the film. sadly, everything leading up to it is rather poor.chelano
Hottest ending I have seen in a long time