A boy is forced to go to summer camp, but unexpected horror is all he and everyone else is going to find.
Shy kids, bullies, inherently incompetent adults, sweet people, bonafide a$$holes, summer camps with a horror story, 80s synthwave music… all the ingredients for an American summer-camp horror ala Friday the 13th (1980). Is it, though? What writer Andy Greskoviak and director Daniel DelPurgatorio do differently are two things:
First, the dream sequences, featuring Dutch angles, surreal mise-en-scène, unpredictable, rhythmically edited sequences, and human reactions to them, synthesise an atmosphere that can only be experienced in a dream state.
Second, the lack of trust and the twist that follows. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you more about that. You’ll have to experience it as well as the ethics that come with it.
Marshmallow is not without faults. Bringing a script to life has never been and will never be an easy task. But DelPurgatorio comes through and manages to surprise with an unexpected narrative that changes the rules of what you know or think you know.
Lastly, great job by all actors and actresses, kids and adults alike. This wouldn’t have been possible if they didn’t believe in it.
Thanks for reading!
Please, don’t forget to share. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.
Solidarity for all the innocent lives that suffer the atrocities of war!
Stay safe!
