“No cure for him.”

It’s the Summer of ’03 and the second session of water polo camp. A group of young boys, mostly twelve to thirteen, tread water and the camera hovers over before slowly focusing in on Ben (Everett Blunck), a first-time camper just trying to fit in. There’s a hierarchy to this group, and squarely outside of it is Eli (Kenny Rasmussen). He’s a socially awkward kid with a twisted sense of humor, what seems like depraved sexual intentions, and to top it all off he has a skin condition hidden under his swim shirt. The other kids call it the plague, and you do not want to get it.

Ben starts off hanging with Eli by default but slowly works his way in with the cool kids, sitting with them at lunch and joining in on their laughter when Eli gets a hard-on looking at the girl campers practicing synchronized swimming. Eli mostly keeps to himself, sitting in the sauna for extended periods, ditching the bunks in the middle of the night to cuddle up with a cardboard cutout of Betty Boop. After all, the kids have a cruel belief that if you touch Eli you’ll get the same “plague” skin condition he has. It’s just a mean joke…or is it? Ben isn’t so sure anymore. The instructor (Joel Edgerton) doesn’t assuage him. And the ringleader Jake (Kayo Martin, a future star who reminds me of Austin Abrams) only further pushes the propaganda.

Propelled by Jonah Lenox’s horror-like score and the sharp cinematography from Steven Breckon, The Plague doesn’t descend into full on madness but slowly dips its toes into coming of age hysteria, channeling Lord of the Flies in its own type of deserted island. The kids pretty much have free reign over the place, skateboarding through halls and sneaking out at night to blast music from a boombox while carelessly breaking things. The thematic elements are all there; the only thing missing from writer/director Charlie Pronger’s outstanding directorial debut is a conch shell.

It seems to me that films like The Plague – almost without fail – tend to work so well because they tackle universal topics in very specific settings. Social anxiety, fear of isolation, and the terrible groupthink are all elements prevalent in everyday life, and here they come to life in a hyper distinct world. It’s sadly relatable too; around this same age I had a girl in my class and if she touched you kids would say you got her “juice.” Kids can be so cruel without really knowing it. The Plague understands this, building to a sequence that’s both arresting and emotionally expressive, almost like a deep exhale. I can’t wait to see what Pronger conjures up next.

“Your actions are not neutral.”

Rating: 4 out of 5