As if the idea of being sent to a camp that aims to convert one’s sexuality or gender isn’t unsettling enough, the new Blumhouse Productions film They/Them (formerly known as Whistler Camp) looks to take that concept to an even more horrifying place, which is set to debut on the streaming service Peacock in August. The film stars Kevin Bacon, which adds an extra layer of significance for the horror realm, as one of his breakout performances came in the iconic summer-camp slasher Friday the 13th back in 1980.ย
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“They/Them has been germinating within me my whole life. I’ve loved horror movies as long as I can remember, I think because monsters represent ‘the other’ and as gay kid I felt a powerful sense of kinship with those characters who were different, outlawed, or forbidden,” writer and director John Logan shared in a statement. “I wanted to make a movie that celebrates queerness, with characters that I never saw when I was growing up. When people walk away from the movie, I hope they’re going to remember the incredible love that these kids have for each other and how that love needs to be protected and celebrated.”ย
Kevin Bacon plays Owen Whistler in this slasher horror film set at an LGBTQIA+ conversion camp. Several queer and trans campers join Whistler for a week of programming intended to “help them find a new sense of freedom.” As the camp’s methods become increasingly more psychologically unsettling, the campers must work together to protect themselves. When a mysterious killer starts claiming victims, things get even more dangerous.
“Original films will be an integral component of Peacock’s content offering, and we are thrilled to partner with Blumhouse onย They/Themย streaming exclusively this summer,” Val Boreland, Executive Vice President, Content Acquisition, NBCUniversal Entertainment, Television and Streaming, added in a statement. “The film is not only entertaining and thrilling, but also empowers its audience with its message of acceptance in a way that only a creator like John Logan could imagine and then bring to life.”
The film also stars Anna Chlumsky (Inventing Anna, Veep), Theo Germaine (The Politician, Adam), Carrie Preston (Claws, Dr. Death). Quei Tann (How to Get Away with Murder, Dear White People), Austin Crute (Booksmart, Daybreak), Monique Kim (High Expectasians, Looks That Kill), Anna Lore (All American, Doom Patrol), Cooper Koch (Less Than Zero, A New York Christmas Wedding), and Darwin del Fabro (Dangerous Liaisons, Novo Mundo).
They/Them debuts on Peacock on August 5th.
Are you looking forward to the new movie? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaughย directly on Twitterย to talk all things Star Wars and horror!