‘Camp’ Review – 2026’s Answer To The Craft Is Surreal And Erratic

Thirty years after its premiere, the 1996 film The Craft is now a cult favorite. The blending of high school drama and the trappings of a coming-of-age story worked to great effect. Add the film’s darker themes involving witchcraft, and it’s got all the ingredients to epitomize a ’90s teen thriller.  Certainly, the film is a product of its era, but it endures for its examination of teenage angst and its delivery of a classic outsider story. Flash forward to the year of lord 2026, and another is attempting to capture the Gen-Z-ification of isolation and trauma, and of course, some witchcraft. The effort begins with a bold promise, then makes a sharp turn into an almost dreamlike atmosphere that leaves us spellbound.

Emily (Zola Grimmer) is responsible for two tragedies early in her life. Her dad suggests she go to a camp for troubled youth to ease her guilt. When Emily arrives, she is taken in by the other counselors. They accept her as she is and wrap her in a veil of peace & forgiveness. Emily stands at the forefront of a new kind of life, but there’s a voice out there in the woods she can’t ignore, telling Emily to go home.

Now, the film falls into the horror category, but genre fans expecting something edgy or unsettling will likely be disappointed. That is, unless the strange venture into surrealism causes horror beyond imagination, which, in case, sure, Camp is a horror film. In reality, it is much more of a coming-of-age story. It attempts to straddle the line between using the supernatural as a metaphor and embracing it outright. 

Now, as a plus, the film looks gorgeous. The opening credits have a retro going-back-to-summer-camp vibe that is both cool and creepy. Even when the film diverges into a fever dream (more on that later), the cinematography by Eily Sprungman is a captivating canvas. 

Much of the film’s emotional weight arises from the character’s reeling from past trauma. The stigmas and pain create isolation and allow a natural bond to form between Emily and her fellow counselors. On the plus side of the equation, here Grimmer is a standout. She creates a performance that never strays into campy territory. She keeps Emily grounded, even amid larger-than-life and, later, surrealist moments. The use of witchcraft in the film is much less for unlocking hidden powers or channeling new abilities, but instead for healing and rebelling against a system of control. The very existence of the camp is a haven for safety and healing, all of which add to the layers of Emily’s pain and suffering. 

In a similar way to The Craft, Emily’s bond with her friends is built on experimenting with witchcraft. The quintessential outsiders looking to make sense of their pain, place, and the world. It is only natural to compare this movie to The Craft. Both, while similar in their overlap with teenage angst and the semblance of witchcraft, operate in two polar-opposite worlds. As a result, the means that justify the ends are also entirely different. 

Whereas The Craft works in tandem with both black comedy and supernatural thrills, Camp is a morose affair. The story does not CW the character’s problems, but rather leaves them to deeper contemplation and introspection. This is a heavier burden on the audience, and while thought-provoking, many of the characters, save for Emily, lack sufficient development to make the examination worthwhile. 

And herein lies the biggest challenge for this film. For me, the trippy, dreamscapes feel random and are tonally out of place. At first glance, the film seems to be an almost cerebral examination of isolation and teenage frustration vis-à-vis our current world, and then BAM, it becomes a quirky arthouse movie. Basically, the latter half of Camp asks the question: Imagine The Craft, but by David Lynch?

Now, the answer to that question is what will ultimately decide for the audience whether the film rises or falls. I love a good David Lynch film, but the turn that Camp makes did not put me in a spell; it left me scratching my head. There is an almost kitschy vibe that emerges in the latter half, and while wholly unique, it leaves us wanting to watch a Lynch film for a more cohesive experience.

Those looking for what is, in fact, a bold experiment in genres and visual language will enjoy Camp. For those expecting something a la The Craft, but in 2026, my advice is to rewatch the ’96 film, because this witchcraft is something else entirely…

Camp is currently playing at the IFC Center (NY) and Laemmle Glendale (LA) courtesy of Dark Sky Films. The film will continue to expand in the coming weeks. 

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