The Plague

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1:30

The Plague

R

2025

1h 38m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

99 Reviews

66%

Popcornmeter

50+ Verified Ratings

In the summer of 2003, at an all-boys summer water polo camp, socially anxious twelve-year-old Ben struggles to fit in amidst a ruthless social hierarchy. When he befriends Eli -- a lonely, acne-ridden outcast shunned by the others for allegedly carrying a contagious "plague" -- Ben becomes entangled in a cruel, escalating ritual of scapegoating and fear. As the lines between teasing and real harm blur, Ben is forced to confront his own complicity and the terrifying cost of belonging. A tense, darkly humorous coming-of-age story about masculinity, peer pressure, and the horrors that fester when cruelty masquerades as a game.

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Critics Consensus

Steeped in disquieting mood without ever treading water, The Plague takes common adolescent anxieties and elevates them into an unforgettable chiller.

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Kyle Logan

Chicago Reader

Jan 21

Rather than deliver any sense of tension and release or thematic heft, The Plague remains a sometimes beautifully realized but ultimately hollow and frustrating hour and a half spent with selfish tween boys.

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Adam Nayman

The Ringer

Jan 2

3/4

The story is set in 2003, a period expertly evoked via strategic scattering of vintage track suits and portable CD players. But its grim vision of masculinity toxifying in real time gives it the feeling of a movie of the moment.

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Peter Travers

The Travers Take

Jan 2

3.5/4

A terrifying first film in which a tween water polo team becomes a "Lord of the Flies" metaphor for the hell of modern bullying. The scares are killer, but it’s the violence of the adolescent mind that hits hardest.

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Carla Hay

Culture Mix

Feb 1

Even though The Plague takes place at a water polo camp for boys, this tension-filled drama is not a sports movie. It's a well-acted and stylishly unsettling story about the troubling effects of bullying and negative peer pressure.

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Gregg Shapiro

Bay Area Reporter

Jan 27

A-

By the stunning conclusion, you may find yourself gasping for air after a dive into the deep end, with the revelation that the plague may well be teenage boys.

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Robert Roten

Laramie Movie Scope

Jan 25

C

The psychological damage caused by the cruelty of children can be tragic. This movie effectively demonstrates this cruelty and how not to deal with it. It also demonstrates betrayal of a friendship, and the emotional consequences of that.

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Juandi

Feb 3

What a great cast of young actors. The movie has a lot of heart but the one major critique I have is that it lacks a climax. If there is one, it’s highly underwhelming. Good effort but falls short.

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John C

Jan 18

Requires patience but more than well worth it. Subtle but builds to a walloping impact overall, despite its subtilty. Or perhaps because of it. Really exceptional, especially for such a sensitive and complex topic.

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Aspen

Jan 12

There is no beginning and no end too this movie. No TRUE plot line , just boys being bullied under the disguise of thriller with their being 0 thrill aspect. BUT the acting of these young actors was incredible which is the only redeeming factor of this movie.

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Mick E

Jan 8

Terrifying, Triggering, Great acting & direction.

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jesse v

Jan 8

you know, having only one adult that the adultery-written kids rely on doesn't make this movie about bullying in a gigantic pool academy with tons of other people around any clear like water.

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Barbara

Jan 7

The lead actor— Everett Blunck—gives a phenomenal performance.

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Charlie Polinger

Director

Joel Edgerton

Daddy Wags

Everett Blunck

Ben

Kayo Martin

Jake

Kenny Rasmussen

Eli

Lennox Espy

Julian

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The Plague: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

In the summer of 2003, at an all-boys summer water polo camp, socially anxious twelve-year-old Ben struggles to fit in amidst a ruthless social hierarchy. When he befriends Eli -- a lonely, acne-ridden outcast shunned by the others for allegedly carrying a contagious "plague" -- Ben becomes entangled in a cruel, escalating ritual of scapegoating and fear. As the lines between teasing and real harm blur, Ben is forced to confront his own complicity and the terrifying cost of belonging. A tense, darkly humorous coming-of-age story about masculinity, peer pressure, and the horrors that fester when cruelty masquerades as a game.

Director: Charlie Polinger
Producer: Lizzie Shapiro, Lucy McKendrick, Joel Edgerton, Steven Schneider, Roy Lee, Derek Dauchy
Screenwriter: Charlie Polinger
Distributor: Independent Film Company
Production Co: Five Henrys Productions, Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Spooky Pictures, The Space Program, Hellcat
Rating: R (Some Drug and Alcohol Use|Language|Sexual Material|Self-Harm/Bloody Images)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 24, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 3, 2026
Box Office (Gross USA): $684.0K
Runtime: 1h 38m

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