They/Them Review

Centered around an LGBTQ+ conversion camp, there are plenty of angles They/Them could have used to create a terrifying slasher film. The route the film takes lacks in delivering a traditional slasher film, but manages to offer a more effective buzz with its cast of characters. What the film lacks in crafting an ideal slasher, it makes up for in its characterization and representation of the LGBTQ+ community as the heroes.

They/Them encompasses a few of director John Logan's passions. In his feature film directorial debut, Logan incorporates his passion for theater, action, and horror into They/Them. Logan has previously worked on Penny Dreadful, Sweeny Todd, Red, and Skyfall. Even with Logan's knowledge and They/Them's entertaining cast, the film gives itself too much to accomplish with its plot. While it isn't a bad film, They/Them could have been improved if it abandoned the slasher label altogether.

They/Them begins with a promising start. In traditional horror fashion, a woman drives along an isolated road in the middle of the night. Her only company is the ominous narration from her audiobook and the trouble she runs into along the road. She endures a flat tire and is without cell service. The rustling of the woods creates an even more enticing atmosphere. It is here that They/Them introduces their killer. There appears to be no reasoning behind the random killing, but They/Them unveils the killer's true motives by the end of the film. They/Them begins with a strong start for a slasher film but fails to carry that momentum throughout the film.

They/Them's biggest issue is its pacing. After the bloody start of They/Them, the film seems to forget about its killer. As the teens arrive and begin to explore the Whistler Camp, there is a weight of uncertainty that hangs over the film, but it doesn't revolve around its killer. Aside from its beginning, They/Them's actual suspense doesn't kick in until a third of the way into the film, and it is short-lived. After the teens arrive and meet the camp's cryptic staff led by Owen (Kevin Bacon), there is no mention of the murder. It remains that way throughout most of They/Them and its second killing doesn't occur until another significant chunk into the film. Where a slasher would often use the killings to generate suspense for its characters and audience, They/Them doesn't. Instead, it relies on the already cryptic atmosphere of the conversion camp they all know can't be as lucrative as it appears.

The simpleness of the camp is where the teens grow the most suspicious, and rightfully so. It is in their suspicions that the teens are able to ban together, and it is in their camaraderie that They/Them is at its strongest. Their companionship serves as the heart of the film, best exemplified in the scene where they all sing and dance to P!nk's "F**kin' Perfect." This scene is what brings all the campers together, including Stu (Cooper Koch), who had been the most opposed to acknowledging his sexuality and why he was attending the camp. Through Stu's athletic and traditionally manly character, They/Them is able to explore some stigma associated with the perception of gay men, while Jordan (Theo Germaine) and Alexandra's (Qui Tann) transitions provide an internal and external examination of the attitude toward the transgender community.

Veronica (Monique Kim) and Kim (Anna Lore) in They/Them

The exploration of acceptance and identity is what They/Them does best. It accomplishes this through the sense of community these characters form in their platonic relationships with one another, but its romantic connections also make They/Them a film worth watching. Kim (Anna Lore) and Veronica (Monique Kim) have an organic relationship that steadily develops over the course of the film. Toby (Austin Crute) and Stu's bond is far more subtle but packs an equally moving message. The struggles each of They/Them's characters endure prove that nothing is linear, especially one's identity. They/Them prioritizes its teens but even in the camp's staff, the film demonstrates that acceptance is the only thing that allows one to move forward.

They/Them is full of complex characters who all could have benefited from a tad more screen time. Given that They/Them only delivers a very small dose of gore that the film doesn't actually need, it could have axed its killer. Instead, They/Them could have borrowed a tactic from Jordan Peele, and relied on its already tense atmosphere to create a stronger horror film. Alexandra's shower scene, Jordan's therapy session, Kim's tense interaction with Sarah (Hayley Griffith), and Stu's horrendous discovery about Gabriel (Darwin del Fabro) are what make They/Them an effective spooky film, not its killer. Had the film rid itself of trying to incorporate the tools of a traditional slasher film, it could have devoted more time to exploring its LGBTQ+ characters, and crafting a sounder horror film.

They/Them is now streaming on Peacock.