The Miseducation of Cameron Post

I've been waiting for this movie for a really long time. I've heard it's gonna be similar to the movie 'But I'm a Cheerleader' and I can say that it is but only up to a point. It seems more mature. I don't know why but I expected more plot. I was a bit disappointed when it ended and I didn't feel like anything was resolved. The main character seems so lost and we usually expect her to find her way but she didn't. On the other side, this movie is really important because it talks about homosexuality in more mature way. And this is maybe the first time they have actually shown an accurate depiction of what the religion really says about this topic. What I find also important is that it discusses the possible causes that led to the SSA. All in all, it's not a complete waste of time but do not expect too much.

Cameron is sent to straight camp after being found kissing her girlfriend in a car. I really wanted to like this movie, but as often happens with gay movies the script didn't deliver. Cameron is not going to be broken, the head of the institution clearly has no idea what he's doing, one of the pupils hurts himself... all ideas that should have been developed, but are just delivered flat to the audience. Underwhelming.

This film felt very vague and could have done more

You have to take this film for what it is: a low-key exploration of the experience of teenagers in a fundamentalist Christian gay conversion camp. The biggest mistake a movie like this could make would be to overly vilify everything about the camp and it's staff rather then dealing with them as human beings who are the products of their own misguided religious belief systems. The second biggest mistake a film like this could make would be NOT to address the emotional abuse that such a practice delivers. To this end, the film lets the harm of conversion therapy be self-evident without overtly pointing to it in a reactionary, outraged fashion. This is no easy accomplishment. The film is subtle and features solid acting performances by promising young actors, led by the magnificent Chloe Grace Moretz. They managed to portray the realistic ambivalence experienced by LGBT youth who find themselves in such situations. Although it will win no great swards, will be no blockbuster, and will not become a cult classic, this film definitely belongs on your must-watch list if you care about this issue.

Set amongst a backdrop of insidious emotional manipulation and subtle, self-hate inducing abuse, 'The Miseducation Of Cameron Post (2018)' is a low-key character-drama that excels at letting itself play out in an unexaggerated, 'realistic' way. It condemns its central situation - and specifically the very real institutions and mindsets that it showcases - simply by portraying it in as honest a way as possible, thereby allowing the audience to come to their own, hopefully universal conclusions about the underhanded evil on display (whether or not it's perpetrators know it to be so). However, the opportunity for social-commentary such a setting provides isn't quite as capitalised on as you might expect, since the judgement of its antagonistic characters and thought-processes very much rests on its audience's shoulders. In this way, it almost feels like it lacks the punch to properly sink into the issues on display. Yet, the lack of 'hand-holding' is also appreciated and the viewer is given perhaps more agency than usual. All in all, the almost 'back-seat' approach works for the genre but it's still a double-edged sword. It also applies to the character development, too, as so much of it is internal that one could mistake it for being absent. However, our lead undertakes a distinct and impactful journey. It usually occurs behind her eyes, out of our vision, but emerges in several key yet somewhat indirect moments to make for a wholistic and believable self-discovery. It could've perhaps been given some more room to breathe, alongside a few extra scenes dedicated to inner turmoil in order to make it perhaps more tangible, but is representative of the flick's overall 'laid-back', 'closed-off' vibe. The few moments when it bursts to the fore are powerful, too. The performances are universally great and Moretz is fantastic in the down-played lead role. Everything's generally so subtle, though, and that makes most of the movie a rather 'floaty' affair; there's only so much investment possible when everyone is so guarded and secretive. Still, the overall experience is entertaining, engaging and, sometimes, somewhat upsetting (seeing what these characters have to go through, which is still happening in our world right now, is tough at times). It's a picture that leaves you hopeful but actually has slight, somewhat intangible sting in the tail. There's plenty to like here, but perhaps more could've been done with the material. 6/10