From the jump, They/Them was set up to be an exciting entry to the slasher genre, not only for its clever title, but for taking a stab at the tired trope of “bury your gays.” Writer-director John Logan wants to put control and power back into the hands of young queer people who’ve been subjected to the harshness of a heteronormative society. However, Logan’s ambitions don't necessarily make for an effective slasher.
They/Them follows a group of young teenagers who, for various reasons, attend Whistler Camp, which is run by the far-too-chill camp director Owen Whistler (Kevin Bacon). His easy-going persona and shocking “acceptance” of gay people is an instant red flag for Jordan (Theo Germaine), who is trans and non-binary. Bit by bit, the insidious nature of the camp and its staff are shown, perhaps as the movie's most terrifying elements, but the staff and campers have another horror on the horizon — a masked killer is stalking the campgrounds and has some interesting targets.
Logan uses the horror genre to cast a light on the dark and depraved manner of the all-too-real atrocities of conversion therapy camps but, in the process, loses the ability to make an effective slasher. While Logan’s intentions are valid and meaningful, the shock and awe of the slasher genre are stripped away when the film ceases being unexpected in favor of protecting the young campers. However, Logan has a clever loophole to foster that shock and raise the uncertainty of the camper's survival. Still, it ultimately buckles under the weight of its message. It's as if Logan was blinded or enamored by the idea of having that traditional sleep-away camp slasher rectify decades worth of homophobia in horror. From queer-coded villains to the “bury your gays” trope, Logan’s attention focuses on not repeating the same mistakes, but fails to recognize what is also needed for a slasher.
They/Them ironically suffers from an identity crisis. The slasher is a genre that is meant to instill fear in the audience and in the potential victims onscreen. What made Scream an effective and subversive slasher was that anyone was a target and that the teenagers were well aware of a masked killer picking them off. In They/Them, Jordan is the only one who has a sense of security as the protagonist. But like Scream's Sidney, those around them don’t exactly have that protective shield. Logan contorts the narrative to amplify the message without putting the innocent protagonists at risk, thus making the slasher aspect ineffective.
They/Them doesn’t have that element of surprise that slashers are known for, which illustrates this film's most significant problem. It is evoking the wrong horror subgenre; the villain shouldn’t be a masked killer with skewed reasons for killing. Instead, the premise should be predicated on the unfortunate youths being sent to what is ostensibly a lion's den with dangerous adults who want to “cure” them. The setup is there, with the campers being systematically dismantled by the camp staff, their harmful intentions peaking through their friendly veneer. The gay vigilante story Logan aspired to tell is well within his reach, but the framing and execution undercut his ambitions.
Logan has all the tools to produce a well-made slasher. There is an ensemble cast that devours every scene with their innate charisma. Technically speaking, everything is done just right. The central tenants of a slasher at a sleep-away camp are present, but there is no thrill, no suspense. Logan can zero in on the terror inherent in conversion therapy, but can’t translate that into an effective slasher because that would require undermining the mission. The battle between Owen and Jordan should have been central to the unfolding of this bloody power struggle, but it isn’t. A masked killer is conjured up in place of what could have been a cat-and-mouse survival horror between Jordan, their fellow campers versus Owen and his staff.
They/Them is impactful for its reason for existing and the excellent ensemble cast that deserves to shine. The film is not unwatchable; it is merely without excitement. Satisfying as it is for the film to directly take aim at dangerous institutions, there is sadness in knowing this horror couldn't find a happy middle.
They/Them began streaming on Peacock Friday, August 5. The movie is 90 minutes long and is rated TV-MA.