Marshmallow

I won't spoil anything here but I have to get this off my chest - this movie is an absolute mess.

The opening sets a tone that the movie immediately forgets about and then drifts off into a huge disappointment.

The only actor that could act was Paul Soter and you could see he was making an effort even though his character was a forgettable one.

I'm not going to say anything else about the movie other than "screaming isn't acting" and "cliches are cliches for a reason".

Skip to the ending if you REALLY want to know the "twist" but don't waste your time on this one as there are way more original and interesting films one could watch like "Cerdita" from 2022.

Yeah, watch "Cerdita" instead.

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.

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.

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.

Although this looks like a summer camp slasher, it certainly Is not.

Instead it is a very entertaining horror, sci fi with some really good characters and some absolutely fantastic child acting.

"Doink" played by Max Malas is excellent and I suspect has a very bright future and our lead played by Kue Lawrence is also superb.

The plot had me guessing for a while and I think it worked although I understand it may not be everyone's cup of tea. The final twist was interesting and eludes to a pretty grim immediate future for those involved.

Overall I thought the premise was good and the movie was pretty well put together. With elements of stranger things, black mirror and infinity pool, director Daniel DelPurgatorio has created a nicely paced, intelligent and entertaining movie.