The Plague

'The Plague' is an American-Romanian psychological thriller written and directed by Charlie Polinger in his directorial debut. The film narrates a particular case of school harassment or bullying within the framework of a summer camp. Premiering in the "Un certain regard" program at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, the film receives notable acclaim from critics and wins several awards at various film festivals.

Set in 2003, we are transported to the summer camp at the Tom Lerner Water Polo Center. There, a group of twelve-year-old kids gather. Jake is the most popular in the group and leads the attacks against Eli, a classmate who suffers from a fungal infection that causes spots to appear on his skin. Jake claims that Eli has "the plague" and humiliates him in front of the other kids.

When Ben arrives at the camp, he wants to be popular, so he joins Jake's group and participates in the bullying of Eli. However, empathy for Eli causes Jake to end up getting closer to him. It is at that moment that Jake spreads another rumor, that Ben also has the plague, and ends up subjecting the little one to the same bullying as his other classmate.

The cast of 'The Plague' consists of a group of young actors, led by Everett Blunck, Kayo Martin, and Kenny Rasmussen. In the adult roles, Joel Edgerton plays the camp counselor. The film was shot entirely in Bucharest.