The Plague

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The Plague

R

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1h 38m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Popcornmeter

99%

Tomatometer

94 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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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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Sonia Rao

Washington Post

Jan 2

4/4

A psychological horror film reminding viewers of just how cruel adolescence can be.

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Aglaia Berlutti

El nacional

1h

A

In Charlie Polinger's The Plague, adolescence becomes a failed social experiment. [Full Review in Spanish]

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Michael Nordine

Movie Brief

1d

"Hell is other people," especially when those people are 12-year-old boys.

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Cole Groth

FandomWire

4d

4/10

It captures the misery of adolescence perfectly, but it forgets to make that misery compelling to watch.

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5d

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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Jan 8

Terrifying, Triggering, Great acting & direction.

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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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Jan 7

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

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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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Jan 7

quite possible the absolute worst movie I've ever seen. zero plot just a bunch of teens running around and bullying these 2 dudes with the so called "plague" which by the way has no backstory whatsoever. I truly have no idea how this got a 100 on RT. do not recommend. this shouledve been a free Netflix movie. don't waste your money. God awful movie

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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): $433.9K
Runtime: 1h 38m

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