CAMP (2025)

Screened for Final Girls Berlin Film Fest.

Recovering from a personal tragedy, Emily (Zola Grimmer) arrives at a Christian summer camp to overcome the incident. She forms a connection with a group of seemingly like-minded women in Clara (Alice Wondsworth), Rosie (Cherry Moore), Nev (Lea Rose Sebastianis), Hope (Ella Reece), and Jo (Sophie Bawks-Smith). Not long after her arrival, Emily discovers the group's interest in witchcraft which takes her on an unexpected and dangerous journey.

Camp is less horror and more coming-of-age drama, a story of impossible redemption. The witchcraft element is played out thoughtfully and whilst most titles in the horror genre that tackle this are more forthcoming and sometimes brutally unsubtle, Director Avalon Fast opted for a more stylised approach, painting wonderful dreamscapes and ethereal imagery with heightened emotion and a mesmerising tone. There's a likability to our group, and somehow the fact they're practicing witchcraft seems more organic and natural, as though they're trying to ground themselves back to society, feeding a yearning to belong and be seen. The salvation Emily seeks in this group is also a fitting testament to this narrative.

There are some darker tones to the film also, with clear references to substance abuse, grief and the blatant use of sexuality to manipulate situations. However these aren't at the detriment to the story, they're played out in such a way that the exploration of growth from adolescence to adulthood encapsulates these experiences and nurtures them, making them seem a whole of the experience of belonging to this world. Overall this is a truly emotional experience, swept up in a dreamy colour palette, stunningly surreal cinematography and a score to match.