Marshmallow

There's a common theme amongst modern movies and I'm over it.

The movie stands alone as its own. It's unique, it has a great twist, takes kinda long to get going and will make you pull your hair out trying to figure out what's happening but in all, just feels a little like a waste of time.

But the annoying theme!

Please stop disguising movies. Modern movies will make you think it's about one thing but it's about something totally different. Watching the trailer you'd think this was a slasher/horror movie, it's not.

Overall it has a great plot but poorly executed in my opinion. Didn't even need to go "the doctor route" or pretend to be a 80s 90s horror movie type, clearly misleading.

Had potential but almost seems like it was two different movies bumping heads over which was gonna take the forefront. Kind of a miss.

I recently watched Marshmallow (2025) in theaters. The story follows a socially awkward young man who isn't thrilled about returning to summer camp-but hopes it might help him make some friends. Soon after arriving, he starts noticing strange things happening, and violent acts begin to unfold. It quickly becomes clear that something is off about camp this year. Could it all be connected to the traditional campfire story they always tell?

The film is directed by Daniel DelPurgatorio, making his directorial debut, and stars Kue Lawrence (Good Girls), Giorgia Whigham (The Punisher), Corbin Bernsen (Major League I & II), Alysia Reiner (Orange is the New Black), and Miya Cech (Beef).

For fans of 80s summer camp slashers, this is a modern twist on the genre-with a Cabin in the Woods vibe and even some science fiction elements thrown in. The acting is strong across the board, and the cinematography stands out. The practical effects are especially impressive-classic, straightforward gore that fits the genre perfectly and is executed with precision.

The plot maintains a steady sense of mystery, though the final reveal might be easier to guess than the director intended. That said, I really liked the direction the story took. I just wish they had shown a bit more at the end, especially after teasing us with such solid effects throughout.

In conclusion, Marshmallow isn't perfect, but it's clever, stylish, and a refreshing modern entry in the summer camp slasher subgenre. I'd rate it a 6.5-7/10 and strongly recommend it to horror fans.

The ending for this movie should've happened about 30 minutes in and then it could've been interesting. We could've seen the terrible side effects of their experiment.

Instead, we get 75 minutes of build up for 15 minutes of pay off.

Overall, a very good idea that was squandered in the execution.

The atmosphere and characters were well developed. But their full potential never realizzed.

The writers and directors should go back to the drawing board and rewrite the entire movie using the final scene as the jumping off point about 30 minutes into the story.

Only then would they have something truly worth watching.

Do not watch this on headphones, unless you like ripping them off your head and throwing them across the room as the entire cast of kids have the most annoying high-pitched screams, turned up to 11, complete with excrutiatingly loud banging noises instead of a proper soundtrack.

This is a poorly directed movie about some kids at summer camp where nothing is as it seems. The story has some pretty good ideas. It's a shame it takes so long to get going and it ends just as it gets interesting.

It's a not wholly original, but it's a sci-fi tale with a lot of potential for a rewrite and remake. In more experienced hands, this could be filled with existential dread. As it stands, it's filled with piercing audio, sluggish pacing and tropes aplenty.

I loved the ideas in this movie, as far fetched as some of them are. The film seems tightly wound for a while, and too serious, and then kind of comes apart and there's execution issues all over it. Was it a good time though? Yes. Are the ideas great sci-fi? Yeah, I think it was innovative and a really fun late night watch. Points for entertainment and innovation and that has to mean something when so many movies are made today simply to put on in the background when you doom scroll and fold your clothes. If you're into science fiction and interesting indie filmmaking then you should give this a watch.