Marshmallow (2025)
A Summer Camp scarefest Like No Other
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Marshmallow starts off as a relatively normal summer camp horror film. The first half is like a mix between Sleepaway Camp and Stranger Things. Then it gets weird. Really weird.
Morgan (Kue Lawrence) is a socially awkward preteen who suffers from recurring nightmares after his grandfather’s sudden death. His parents sign him up for summer camp at Camp Almar. Much to his chagrin, he’s going to share a cabin with the neighborhood bully, C.J (Sutton Johnston).
Morgan is mocked by his fellow students and the counselors for his fear of water and inability to swim. But camp life isn’t all bad. Morgan manages to make some new friends and even meets a cute and plucky girl, Pilar (Kai Cech).
What’s a summer camp genre flick without a spooky story told around the campfire? The counselors tell the kids about The Doctor, a crazed surgeon who murdered his family and supposedly stalks the camp each night.
The psycho is ready and willing to eviscerate any kids who don’t stay in their bunks. You’d think this story would be inappropriate for a bunch of preteens, but it’s just one of many examples of the counselors’ carelessness and incompetence.
Morgan decides to sneak out at night and inevitably encounters The Doctor, a masked man wearing a headlamp and armed with an electric taser. The kids concoct a desperate plan to escape.
Marshmallow appears to be set in the ’80s, but this not another nostalgia piece. In a movie whether nothing is as it seems, the second half turns the story upside down with a series of stunning twists. I don’t want to say too much and risk spoiling this movie’s secrets.
Despite the young ages of the protagonists, Marshmallow is not a horror flick intended for kids. This is a dark and violent film about child commodification and exploitation. The corrosive effects of gaslighting and deception are key themes.
One of the best aspects of this movie is the sparkling chemistry between Lawrence and Cech. I’m not usually interested in watching sentimental love stories, but even I found their little romance endearing. Morgan and Pilar seem like real kids, which adds a dash of irony to the movie’s themes.
To be clear, this is not for anyone who wants to watch a Friday the 13th-style slasher. I suspected Marshmallow was going to be that type of film, but I was way off.
Marshmallow climaxes with the most insane twist ending since The Cabin in the Woods. All I’ll say is that unexpected sci-fi elements are introduced into the story. In fact, this movie reminded me of one of my favorite sci-fi horror films of last year, but I can’t say which without revealing too much.
Some aspects of the twist could have been explained better. The answers we get are intriguing, but I was hungry for even more. Good news: A sequel has already been announced! Are we witnessing the birth of a new franchise?
rating
Marshmallow is the most innovative and surprising summer camp horror movie in a long time. Its themes resonate perfectly with our current times and the lead performances are engaging. But don’t watch it expecting a traditional slasher.
Rating from 1 (avoid at all costs) to 10 (masterpiece): 8.5
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