"They/Them" Is An LGBTQ+ Horror Masterpiece
buzzfeed.com*This review contains minor spoilers*Horror has a long history of being queer-coded. From transgender serial killer tropes to the effeminate villains, the coding hasn't usually been kind, however that hasn't stopped LGBTQ+ people from finding a deep connection to the genre, even if the genre has historically left queer people on the side of the road.They/Them (pronounced "They-Slash-Them") is veteran screenwriter John Logan's debut directorial film, that sees a group of queer young adults setting out to survive a week at a conversion camp.
The film initially seems to be a queer homage to the slasher films of the '80s, but twists into a deeply layered psychological thriller that shows the real life LGBTQ+ experience is often scarier than any horror movie.Every good horror film needs an even better cast, which They/Them delivers on in spades.
Jordan (Theo Germaine) quickly becomes the focal point of the main group, clarifying that they will not happily be partaking in any "conversion" along with Toby (Austin Crute), Alexandra (Quei Tann), and Veronica (Monique Kim), while others like Stu (Cooper Kock) and Kim (Anna Lore) are at the camp to change their queerness.The film initially appears as a queer Friday The 13th with the slasher film vibes in full effect as the archetypes and crucial roles become set.
However, as camp owner Owen Whistler (the scary good Kevin Bacon), introduces himself to the campers with a chilling welcome speech, you realize this horror will not be like anything you've seen before.Bacon's Owen Whistler along with his wife Dr.
