They/Them (2022) – Exciting psychological camp slasher

Directed by: John Logan
Starring: Theo Germaine, Anna Chlumsky, Carrie Preston, Kevin Bacon
Synopsis: A group of teenagers at an LGBTQ+ conversion camp endures unsettling psychological techniques while being stalked by a mysterious masked killer.

Fear doesn’t discriminate.
They/Them focuses on a group of teens who are all from the LGBTQ+ community who have arrived at a conversion camp each for their own reasons.
They/Them has a strong opening that utilizes its horror/slasher elements to its best and delivers the opening kill. We cut to the conversion camp where we meet camp leader Owen Whistler played by the terrific, Kevin Bacon. Owen is very charming and funny and comes across quite hippie and down to earth insisting that if you’re gay its who you are, be yourself. We all know something is afoot here especially after the opening.
Breaking the mold
The campers are all characters we root for and we want them to make it to the end of the movie, but it’s a slasher movie after all! We get to see friendships made and relationships form. Each character has their story-arc which relates to their own judgements and fears they face in everyday life, when all they want is to be accepted.
They/Them breaks the mold of the typical slasher movie and features a breakout in song, it goes complete R-rated High School Musical for a minute before sleeking back into the horror playground.
Verdict
They/Them features some gory kills and has creepy slasher racking up a body count. Though some viewers will be able to guess who the killer is from the start it doesn’t take away from the movie.
Kevin Bacon is on fine form and delivers a very convincing and memorable performance, it’s also great to see him return to the camp slasher genre.
They/Them marks the directorial debut for writer/director John Logan and I think it is the first horror to feature a whole LGBTQ+ cast.
Blumhouse knock another one out the park.