At a struggling Theater Camp in upstate New York, the eccentric employees, their passionate campers, and the owner’s oddball son must fight to keep the camp afloat. When internal and external struggles come knocking they are forced to make decisions about their individual and collective futures. This is one ragtag group of individuals, but they just might have what it takes to save the day.
Theater Camp is an example of one of those films where the trailer is better than the actual movie. The funniest parts of the film are showcased in the trailer, and it doesn’t give itself anywhere to grow. Not to say that the trailer ruined the film, but the fact of the matter is that the funniest jokes and most appealing moments of the film were seen ahead of time, and viewers want to see more when they sit down to watch something. Theater Camp shoots itself in the foot in numerous ways, and not extending itself beyond what the trailer showcases is one of the worst examples.
The film wants to develop so many different characters, a series of unique personalities that feed off of one another, but that never happens. There are so many characters that aren’t explored, that come into the picture, make something of an impact, and then simply exist in the background throughout the remainder of the production. It’s like Directors Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman wanted to tease viewers, give them just enough reason to stick around throughout Theater Camp, but never really give viewers when they wanted. We are constantly promised a series of unique and interesting avenues that might be explored, but then those trails run cold, die off, and leave viewers wondering why. In a lot of ways Theater Camp, while it is a complete story, feels incomplete as a result of the series of dead ends that exist within the film.
What the film does really well is create a balance between making fun of theater kids and explaining why theater is so important. Unlike some other recent productions (*cough cough* Barbie), Theater Camp does a great job of exploring both sides of the argument, trying its best not to ostracize anyone in the process. In a lot of ways the point of Theater Camp is to be inclusive, to provide the world with an understanding of theater and the role that it plays in many lives around the world. It never forces its opinions on the subject, but rather presents the ideas of theater in a way that many will be able to understand–ultimately allowing them to form their own opinions.
Even through all of its efforts, Theater Camp still remains an artsy production that will appeal to a niche group of viewers. The pretentious artistic folk that feel that they are better than everyone and the even smaller group of people that care enough to want to see them fail will appreciate and enjoy this film. I can appreciate what Theater Camp is trying to accomplish, but it never develops into something worth your time. With only a handful of laughs and even fewer (albeit brilliant) emotional moments, Theater Camp reneges on its promise to be inspiring, funny, or anything in between.
Directed by Molly Gordon & Nick Lieberman.
Written by Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, & Ben Platt.
Starring Ben Platt, Molly Gordon, Noah Galvin, Jimmy Tatro, Caroline Aaron, Ayo Edebiri, Nathan Lee Graham, Owen Thiele, Amy Sedaris, Patti Harrison, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
