Slashers are one of the most popular subgenres ofhorror, and have been for decades.Summer camp slashersspecifically are the bread and butter of the horror subgenre, thanks to movies likeFriday the 13thandSleepaway Camp. Despite the subgenre being around for over five decades, slashers remain popular among horror fans, and new movies are released almost every year. A lesser-known independent horror film calledMarshmallowwas released on VOD just last month, which hasn’t been on nearly enough people’s radar.Marshmallowseems like it’s going to be a typical summer camp slasher, but then it completely flips the subgenre on its head.
The low-budget, original horror film does an excellent job of making the viewer believe it’s going to be another generic summer camp slasher that follows the typical “masked killer seeking revenge on the camp” route. Instead, itgoes down a twisty paththat completely subverts genre expectations. Whatever you think this film is going to be, it almost certainly is not. The second half ofMarshmallowis utterly unexpected, and I commend the filmmakers for doing something bold with the narrative. It’s a unique film with a unique take on summer camp horror that most definitely needs to be on your watchlist, and I’m here to tell you why.
The Narrative Is Completely Unpredictable
Marshmallow
The film follows a timid 12-year-old boy named Morgan (Kue Lawrence) who has recently moved to a new town with his parents and his grandfather. Struggling to make friends with kids in the neighborhood, Morgan is sent by his parents to a secluded sleepaway camp for the summer in the hopes that he will connect with his peers. While sitting around the campfire the first night, the counselors tell the campers the gruesome legend of “The Doctor,” causing worry among a few of the young campers.When a mysterious figure descends upon the camp, suggesting the legend is true, Morgan and his new friends are thrust into a waking nightmare.
The first half of this film follows the typical tropes found in summer camp slashers. Morgan struggles to fit in with most of the kids and is relentlessly bullied by a group of boys. The only people willing to be his friends are the stereotypical nerdy kids who also have some trouble fitting in. They play games, roast s’mores around the campfire, and spend sunny afternoons on the lakeside dock. Of course, Morgan repeatedly sees a shadowy figure lurking among the trees at night, and the counselors dismiss his claims as him simply being scared of the story they told. However, Morgan experiences awful dreams of drowning and of a masked “doctor” trying to hurt him and his friends.
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The second half ofMarshmallowis absolutely bonkers. There’s a twist that happens amid the complete camp mayhem that makes you believe you know what’s actually going on, only to spring another huge twist on you that will have you questioning everything that’s occurred so far. It shifts genres and tone in the blink of an eye without missing a beat. Morgan’s dreams become more frequent and aggressive in the second half, and by the third act, they tie in with the storyline in ways you simply could not predict. It’s not at all what anyone would expect from a movie that appears to be about a masked killerstalking a summer camp.
Cleverly Subverting Genre Expectations
When watching a camp slasher, you expect a certain amount of stalking, screaming, and slashing. You expect a masked maniac to relentlessly pursue the counselors or campers with a bloody vengeance, who is revealed to be either related to one of the campers or to someone who died at the camp. One of the counselors or campers will beat the killer and get away, only for it to be revealed that the killer is alive at the last minute. It’s a formula that has continued to work for over 50 years.
Still, after over 50 years of the same subgenre tropes, someone had to reinvent the wheel at some point.Marshmallowdoes exactly that. The main twist comes out of nowhere, as it is undoubtedly shocking.However, once it’s revealed, you realize many seemingly ancillary moments from earlier in the film were actually incredibly important. Without giving too much away, there are moments between Morgan and his family, imagery from his dreams, and actions taken by some of the campers and counselors that start to click as more than just odd occurrences by the end. The first twist is surprising on its own, but it expertly grabs your attention and tricks you into thinking this is the direction the story has always been heading toward. Then, that second twist is spawned out of the first one, just as it appears everything is going to end differently.
‘Marshmallow’ Is Entirely Original
We are living in a time when it feels like every movie that’s released is a sequel, a remake, a reboot, or an adaptation of an existing franchise or intellectual property. These certainly have the right to exist, and plenty of them are welcomed by both casual moviegoers and cinephiles. Nevertheless,we are starved for more original filmsthat are completely unrelated to an existing IP.Films likeSinners, Bring Her Back, andCompanionfrom just this year alone have proved that well-made original ideas will draw audiences in.
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People complain that there are no original movies anymore or that horror specifically isn’t unique anymore, butMarshmallowis both. This would work excellently as a gateway horror film for younger audiences or really anyone looking to get into the genre. Even seasoned horror fans will enjoy this because the second half is so unexpected. If we want new films that feel fresh and different from what is normally released, this is the type of film horror fans and general moviegoers alike should be supporting.
