Marshmallow

I recently watched Marshmallow (2025) in theaters. The story follows a socially awkward young man who isn't thrilled about returning to summer camp-but hopes it might help him make some friends. Soon after arriving, he starts noticing strange things happening, and violent acts begin to unfold. It quickly becomes clear that something is off about camp this year. Could it all be connected to the traditional campfire story they always tell?

The film is directed by Daniel DelPurgatorio, making his directorial debut, and stars Kue Lawrence (Good Girls), Giorgia Whigham (The Punisher), Corbin Bernsen (Major League I & II), Alysia Reiner (Orange is the New Black), and Miya Cech (Beef).

For fans of 80s summer camp slashers, this is a modern twist on the genre-with a Cabin in the Woods vibe and even some science fiction elements thrown in. The acting is strong across the board, and the cinematography stands out. The practical effects are especially impressive-classic, straightforward gore that fits the genre perfectly and is executed with precision.

The plot maintains a steady sense of mystery, though the final reveal might be easier to guess than the director intended. That said, I really liked the direction the story took. I just wish they had shown a bit more at the end, especially after teasing us with such solid effects throughout.

In conclusion, Marshmallow isn't perfect, but it's clever, stylish, and a refreshing modern entry in the summer camp slasher subgenre. I'd rate it a 6.5-7/10 and strongly recommend it to horror fans.

I loved the ideas in this movie, as far fetched as some of them are. The film seems tightly wound for a while, and too serious, and then kind of comes apart and there's execution issues all over it. Was it a good time though? Yes. Are the ideas great sci-fi? Yeah, I think it was innovative and a really fun late night watch. Points for entertainment and innovation and that has to mean something when so many movies are made today simply to put on in the background when you doom scroll and fold your clothes. If you're into science fiction and interesting indie filmmaking then you should give this a watch.

Even though I keep up really well with recent horror releases, Marshmallow completely passed me by without me noticing it. The premise sounded interesting and the poster looked intriguing, which was enough for me to give it a try.

We have the typical summer camp setting with a young boy who is fearful and shy. After making a few friends and encountering a mean bully, he and the other kids are told a horror story about an evil doctor who used to live in the area. After that, the young boy becomes even more frightened, and his constant visions and the voices in his head aren't making things any better.

The movie really takes its time with character development, and even though I enjoyed the characters and love the summer camp setting, it became a little boring after a while. Once the pacing picks up, the film definitely shifts in tone, but something about it feels off and not very well executed. It was too tame for a slasher and too generic for the "sci-fi" label it has on IMDb.

At some point, we are introduced to a plot twist that definitely got me excited, but the movie never really does anything with it. We get a final scene that looks pretty interesting and made me want to see more, which should be a good sign in theory. However, this movie just felt like wasted potential. That plot twist and the last scene should have happened much earlier and led into a final act that could have made the movie far more engaging.

As a standalone film, it felt disappointing and overall unsatisfying. The movie was stylish and had a soundtrack reminiscent of Stranger Things, and that, combined with the summer camp setting, created a nice atmosphere. However, the script was definitely an issue, focusing too much on boring elements instead of developing what is shown in the final scene.

Overall, it's not a terrible movie, but I couldn't help leaving it with an unsatisfied feeling. I'm still curious to see if they plan to continue this story, but until then, this was average at best. It would have worked great as a pilot episode for a new TV series, but definitely not as a standalone movie. [5.2/10]

I won't spoil anything here but I have to get this off my chest - this movie is an absolute mess.

The opening sets a tone that the movie immediately forgets about and then drifts off into a huge disappointment.

The only actor that could act was Paul Soter and you could see he was making an effort even though his character was a forgettable one.

I'm not going to say anything else about the movie other than "screaming isn't acting" and "cliches are cliches for a reason".

Skip to the ending if you REALLY want to know the "twist" but don't waste your time on this one as there are way more original and interesting films one could watch like "Cerdita" from 2022.

Yeah, watch "Cerdita" instead.

Do not watch this on headphones, unless you like ripping them off your head and throwing them across the room as the entire cast of kids have the most annoying high-pitched screams, turned up to 11, complete with excrutiatingly loud banging noises instead of a proper soundtrack.

This is a poorly directed movie about some kids at summer camp where nothing is as it seems. The story has some pretty good ideas. It's a shame it takes so long to get going and it ends just as it gets interesting.

It's a not wholly original, but it's a sci-fi tale with a lot of potential for a rewrite and remake. In more experienced hands, this could be filled with existential dread. As it stands, it's filled with piercing audio, sluggish pacing and tropes aplenty.