If you’re looking for a film featuring “unsettling body horror,” IFC Films has exactly what you need. After causing a massive stir at the Cannes Film Festival—including a jaw-dropping 11-minute standing ovation—The Plague is finally making its way to theaters.
A Brutal Rite of Passage
Marking the directorial debut of Charlie Polinger, The Plague is being described as a pressure cooker with a terrifying twist. The story follows a socially awkward teenager stuck at an all-boys water polo camp.
What starts as a story about brutal bullying quickly spirals into something much darker. The film’s body horror floored critics at Cannes. It paints a visceral and unsettling picture of the agonies of adolescence. Imagine the tension of Whiplash mixed with the skin-crawling vibes of The Fly, and you’re getting close.
The Team Behind the Terror
This film has star power, with Joel Edgerton (The Gift, Dark Matter) starring and producing, bringing his signature intensity to the project. The film leans on incredible performances from young actors Everett Blunck, Kayo Martin, and Kenny Rasmussen.
The movie took home the Best Sound Creation award at Cannes, so this is definitely one you’ll want to hear in a theater with a top-tier sound system.
Why It’s a Must-Watch
IFC Films is the same studio that brought us modern classics like The Babadook and Late Night with the Devil, so they know their way around high-quality horror. IFC head Scott Shooman isn’t holding back the hype, calling it “one of the most riveting debut films we’ve ever seen.”
Backing up the vision are heavyweight executive producers like Roy Lee (IT) and Steven Schneider (Paranormal Activity), ensuring that while this is an arthouse darling, it still packs a major punch for genre fans.
The Plague left HorrorFuel.com’s Joseph Perry impressed. He describes the film in his spoiler-free review as “…nothing short of spectacular. The Plague is a riveting, harrowing, mesmerizing, dramatic thriller that blends beautiful cinematography with the ugliness that people — in this case, young teen and preteen boys — can have for each other.”
The Plague is now in limited theaters, followed by a wide release kicking off on January 2, 2026. Watch the intense new trailer below.
