MARSHMALLOW
***
Directed by Daniel DelPurgatorio.
Starring Kue Lawrence, Giorgia Whigham, Corbin Bernsen, Alysia Reiner
Horror, US, 93 Minutes.
Reviewed as part of FrightFest 2025 - UK Premiere
Daniel DelPurgatorio's directorial debut often feels more disturbing than you expect it to be. This summer-camp horror with tinges of sci-fi could be accused of fooling the viewer with its young teenage cast and retro setting. At first glance, it appears to be chasing that STRANGER THINGS vibe, but there’s something far more unsettling going on here.
Beginning with a truly nightmarish sequence with a surreal moment of water-logged body horror, things settle down for a while when we are introduced to young Morgan (Kue Lawrence), a shy awkward boy with a close connection to his grandfather (Corbin Bernsen). After a tragic incident, Morgan is shipped off to summer camp for the season, because nothing bad ever happens at those places. With a staff filled out with a mix of horny and nerdy and well meaning camp councillors and a campfire legend of a nightmarish doctor figure stalking the woods for body parts, the stage seems to be set for a mixture of coming of age tropes, including bullying and first love, and some mild stalking and slashing fun. DelPurgatorio and screenwriter Andy Greskoviak, however, have something far more unsettling in mind.
The film has a surprisingly hard edge, especially when it comes to its kids in peril scenes. It skirts how much punishment and even death can be depicted with its young cast, something that was previously taboo in slasher cinema. Not that this is your typical slasher film. Something far more insidious is at play here, resulting in a neat little film that has more than one sinister surprise up its sleeve.
Making his debut as a feature director, DelPurgatorio shows a confidence here tha bodes well for his future with a style that sometimes hearkens back to the genre cinema of the past while also providing inventive, disturbing and alarming touches of his own. Also making a good impression here is Kue Lawrence as the sensitive Morgan. Never precocious or annoying, he makes for an interesting protagonist along with his new found friends who also offer convincing performances.
The film builds up nicely to moments of chaos and a real sting in the tail. Fun and often creepy, MARSHMALLOW should scratch that summer-camp horror itch until Jason Voorhees finally makes his return to Crystal Lake.
Iain MacLeod
