Cannes 2025: impressive thriller “La Peste” by Charlie Polinger
by Alex Billington
May 24, 2025
A new new beginning of a filmmaker who has a real talent. One of the best first films of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival is titled The plagueAn American independent thriller directed by the filmmaker Charlie Polinger. During the intro during his world premiere, actor Joel Edgerton (who also heads his own production company called Blue -Tongo Films – although they were not involved in this film) said that he had already seen few short films from Polinger before reading the script for this and waiting for him to finally make his mark with his first feature film. This moment is there and, yes, he has definitely made his mark. Even after watching many other films during the festival, he always stands out, he always persists in my mind and the score has always haunts me. Even if the story of intimidation is a little obvious, and even if it never plunges into a complete horror despite the feeling that it could do it, it is always an impressive start with a first -rate cinema at all levels. The plague Plurnce viewers in the scary kingdom of children who collect other children and these are bizarre things.
Written and directed by Charlie Polinger, The plague takes place in the early 2000s and tells the story of a group of children in a Water-Polo summer camp. I know these sports camps as I went there for a few when I grew up and it was always embarrassing experiences for me too. A bunch of fiery, young and annoyed children thrown together for a week (without any parents). Newcomer Everett Blunck Play like a lean kid named Ben, who tries to win the camaraderie of the other group of children who already know each other. Kenny Rasmussen Co-stars like Eli, a strange boy who has skin problems that appear as rashes on his body. The other children think that it is a frightening disease that they nicknamed “the plague” and act as if it was horrible, always mocking him, constantly taking him, not approaching him. But Eli does not seem to worry about it and does everything he wants to do his own way, even if they continue to intimidate him. You Martin Co-stars also under the name of Jake, the bullying leader who is always the one who finds something to choose with any child. The performance of Everett Blunck and Kayo Martin are among the best young performances I have seen for a long time. They are not only convincing but also difficult, plunging into a disturbing dynamic which is necessary for this story to work as well as.
Aside from legitimate children in their roles (and Joel Edgerton As a coach), it’s a good cinema that shoots all cylinders. There is an incredibly unique cinematography by DP Steven BreckonSupervise the swimming pool and buildings and each stroke in a way that is instantly special or disturbing but also bewitching. This guy has one eye, that’s for sure, and I’m glad he joins Polinger. The partition reigns – it is a moving horror partition built around the voice “Aaah” and “Oooh” sampled in percussive music. The singer / composer Johan Lenox is the inventive musician behind this score and he deserves additional attention for having created this particularly bizarre score. By always thinking about it all the time … that is part of what makes this film SO relax to watch, keep the viewers on the edge of their headquarters even if it is not In fact horror. In the end, the story is less on intimidation and more about being yourself, leaving no pressure or compliance of peers to reach you. It is not an easy task, especially when you are a growing child who wants to be considered cool and accepted in the group. It is a good Helluva film which is entirely original and captivating – Polinger instantly proving that it has the chops.
Alex’s Cannes 2025 note: 8 out of 10
Follow Alex on Twitter – @Firsthowing / Or letterboxd – @firsshowing
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