The Plague Cannes 2025: Joel Edgerton’s Disturbing Summer Camp Horror

The Plague Cannes 2025 premiere has left audiences… speechless, disturbed, and strangely nostalgic in all the wrong ways. Just when you thought the summer camp genre was dead and buried, in walks Joel Edgerton—yes, that Joel Edgerton—turning a nostalgic boys’ camp into a psychological battlefield that’s part Lord of the Flies, part Midsommar, and 100% unsettling.

And guess what? This isn’t some big studio flick—it’s an indie-rooted psychological drama that dropped like a bomb in the Un Certain Regard category at Cannes.

From Summer Camp to Social Nightmare

Set in 2003, The Plague follows 12-year-old Ben as he desperately tries to fit in at a water polo summer camp. But instead of s’mores and pool games, things spiral into a twisted social experiment. The kids invent a fake disease and isolate one camper, Eli, the chubby outcast with acne and awkwardness to spare.

Sounds far-fetched? Well, director Charlie Polinger says it’s loosely inspired by his own summer camp experience.

Joel Edgerton’s Shocking Turn

Fans were floored when Joel Edgerton popped up as Daddy Wags, the too-passive counselor who watches the boys descend into mob behavior. It’s a far cry from his Star Wars or The Gift days, and insiders are calling it one of his boldest roles yet.

Oh—and he’s not just acting. Edgerton co-produced the film, too, alongside indie darlings like Lizzie Shapiro and Steven Schneider.

Fan Reactions & Festival Buzz

The buzz? Wild. Critics at Cannes described the film as “deeply unsettling,” “a horror without gore,” and “a terrifying mirror to our childhood trauma.”

On X (formerly Twitter), users had plenty to say:

“Just walked out of The Plague at #Cannes2025 and I feel emotionally wrecked. This is what horror should be. No jump scares, just pure dread.”

—@FilmFlame

“Joel Edgerton as Daddy Wags in The Plague is the quietest horror I’ve ever seen. Give that man another Oscar nod, please.”

—@MovieMystic

“WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT THE SYNCHRONIZED POOL DANCING?? I’m unwell.”

—@sundance_queen

And let’s not forget the newcomers—Kenny Rasmussen, Everett Blunck, and Kayo Martin—who critics say “out-acted half of Hollywood.” For real.

So, Was The Plague a Success?

By indie standards? A massive hit. Word on the ground is that international sales agents are scrambling to lock distribution. Several A24 fans are already begging for a limited U.S. release. And insiders say streaming platforms like Netflix and Prime have already shown interest.

The film may not rake in blockbuster numbers, but in the realm of festival fame and cultural impact, The Plague Cannes 2025 just might be this year’s Hereditary.

The Plague doesn’t just entertain—it forces us to revisit our own teenage cruelty and peer pressure trauma. It’s not your typical slasher flick, but rather a gut-punch of emotional horror with eerie poolside choreography and uncomfortable silence.