The Plague

Painfully slow, drawn out non-scenes as filler. Zero character development. Supposed to be a US boys water polo camp but so obviously shot in Eastern Europe it takes you out of the whole thing. Overly controlled and precious setups that leave no room for spontaneity. Just stiff and incredibly dull for a single pay off I didn't waste my time to finish.

The Plague works on many levels however its narrative progression loses some plausibility here and there. And maybe that's because casting wise you have what appears to be native English speakers filming on location in Bucharest, Romania (per the end credits), and guessing budget wise / extras wise to maintain the premise of it being set somewhere in America you just don't have more of counselor / adult presence. But whatever. Just seems the characters would have a more pronounced path with secondary / tertiary cast. All of this said, the architecture of the primary building site is gorgeous. And the under water sequences paired with the sound design really pop. The arc of the story flows well with a welcome, satisfying closure of events. Otherwise the primary players bringing to life the awkward 13 year old male experience in 2003 (''Shake it like a salt shaker!'') at a summer camp do a fantastic job. And as a 51 year old man, in no way do I miss being 13 and having to navigate the seascape of status, hormones, and belonging. Dance floors optional.