New Coming-of-Age Thriller: "The Plague" Makes a Splash at Cannes.

[The following review is spoiler-free]

While dozens of high profile films premiere at the Cannes Film Festival each year, there are also a lot of smaller projects that receive far less recognition while still remaining of the utmost quality. This year saw the release of American film, The Plague starring Joel Edgerton and Everett Blunck. Despite having a small budget and barely any promotion, the film has garnered a surprisingly amount of attention at Cannes this year simply from word-of-mouth alone. I was lucky enough to catch the film in IMAX this week and let me tell you, it is not a film you are ready for.

The Plague is the first feature film from AFI graduate, Charlie Polinger, along with producers Lizzie Shapiro and Lucy McKendrick. It follows the story of 13 year old Ben, struggling to fit in at water polo camp in 2003. There, he meets Eli, an ostracized boy who is relentlessly bullied by the other kids on account of him having "The Plague." The group of bullies is led by a boy named Jake who has convinced everyone that every time they come into contact with Eli they must wash themselves immediately or they will catch this imaginary disease and their brain will soon turn to mush.

Most people walked into The Plague expecting a body horror film but that couldn't be farther from the truth. There is a touch of gross imagery in the form of Eli's "Plague" rash, but the title is much less literal than audiences originally thought. Polinger does a fantastic job at recreating the isolation, fear, and awkwardness that one experiences in their early teens. There is such a strong emphasis put on "being cool" and hiding behind a facade to fit in. The main character, Ben, is a character that everyone will be able to relate to in some capacity, making it very easy to root for him. Despite his brief screentime, Joel Edgerton also gives a fantastic performance as the water polo coach, Daddy Wags.

It's a big risk to make a film where the main cast is almost exclusively children but Polinger and company were able to not only tell a brilliant story, but also get incredible performances out of their actors. Everett Blunck, Kenny Rasmussen, and Kayo Martin's performances all add so much to the film and it's so realistic you'd think they weren't acting at all.

Without a doubt the best part of The Plague is the cinematography by Steven Breckon, an industry newcomer who puts together some of the most beautiful shots Cannes has to offer this year. From the first frame, Breckon's talent for photography is clear, with every shot being lit and framed to perfection. The cinematography pairs remarkably well with the original score by Johan Lenox. Together, they make for an ethereal, unsettling, almost dreamlike theater experience.

The title: The Plague is largely metaphorical. While Eli does have some kind of contagious rash, the real plague is rumors, and the symptoms are a loss of innocence. Teenage boys and children in general can be cruel, and those who have experienced that cruelty never truly forget. Your heart will absolutely shatter for Ben as you watch him transition from a wide-eyed, spirited boy, to the very thing he came to despise. Cruelty does nothing but breed more cruelty, and that central theme makes The Plague one of the best anti-bullying films out there. It flawlessly captures the uneasiness of being a young kid in the throws of growing up.

With the recent news of the film being picked up for American distribution, I will be waiting with baited breath until it gets a theatrical release date.

The Plague has some of the most extraordinary cinematography, direction, music, and performances seen at Cannes so far, but the best part about the film is that it's Charlie Polinger's first feature. If this is what he, Shapiro, and McKendrick are able to produce for their first Cannes entry, I can't wait to see what they come up with next. Currently, producer Lucy McKendrick is writing, directing, producing, and starring in the upcoming film Fangs starring Joel Edgerton and Toni Collette, and if it's anything like The Plague, sign me up immediately.

There's no doubt it'll be hard to top The Plague, but I believe Polinger and company will rise to the challenge.