Charlie Polinger’s characteristic debut, The Plague, expertly captures each the intimate bodily mechanics of adolescent bullying and the sentiments of dissociation stirred by such psychological terror. Towards the backdrop of a water polo summer season camp in 2003, Polinger additionally finds fertile floor to play with horror and psychological thriller conventions.
The movie plunges us into the headspace of Everett Blunck’s Ben, a 12-year-old boy simply making an attempt to slot in amongst his friends. The group’s ringleader, Kayo Martin’s Jake, seizes on Ben’s foibles to clarify that his acceptance within the group is conditional. Everybody’s deepest dread is to finish up like Kenny Rasmussen’s Eli, the pariah of the group whose pores and skin rash Jake dubs “the plague.”
The enjoying subject within the pool is simply one of many many battlefields the place Ben feels he should struggle to keep up his sense of self and sanity. As Polinger’s masterful orchestration of style tropes gives a vivid window into the character’s inside turmoil, the filmmaker’s bigger assertion on the character of bullying emerges. Anybody can act as each sufferer and perpetrator in a social construction designed to reward those that can most confidently assert their dominance.
Forward of The Plague’s theatrical launch, I spoke with Polinger, Blunck, and Martin about this uniquely chilling on-screen depiction of childhood bullying. Our dialog lined what was totally different about bullying 20 years in the past, how they developed the characters collectively, and why improvisation was such a strong software to unlock the emotion of a scene.
The Plague follows a bunch of 12-year-old boys. What did it imply to every of you to attempt to get contained in the headspace of that particular age?
Kayo Martin: I used to be 14 once I performed [Jake], however everybody thought I used to be 10. Taking part in a 12-year-old, folks positively believed it as a result of, at that time, I nonetheless sort of acted like a 12-year-old.
Everett Blunck: I used to be 14 too, so there wasn’t a very enormous distinction. With the fabric of the script, there’s nuance in how children behave. However bullying is bullying as a teen. For me, it wasn’t actually like, “I’m 14 and should act 12.” It’s like, “How would I act if I have been being bullied, or if I used to be on this state of affairs?” For me, performing youthful than myself wasn’t one thing that I concentrated on. Generally, it will be slightly extra evident, otherwise you’d should make it slightly extra apparent that you just have been a 12-year-old and not like a 14-year-old.
Charlie Polinger: I felt like 12 was a very particular age, and we felt it within the casting course of. If somebody was even generally 10 to 11 or 15 to 16, it will really feel actually totally different. There’s a selected age the place it doesn’t really feel prefer it’s slightly child, however you’re not fairly [a teenager]. Even speaking to Kayo and Everett proper now, I really feel such as you guys have matured to a degree that wouldn’t make sense for the film anymore. You simply aren’t as susceptible or younger because the dynamics going on right here. Even six months after the shoot, I observed a distinction in you guys. I feel [that age] is that this very explicit second the place it’s proper on the sting of nonetheless being a child and not anymore.
When making an attempt to recreate the time interval during which the movie is about, did you discover it was extra comparable or extra totally different from at the moment than anticipated?
CP: I simply knew what it was wish to be a young person within the 2000s, and so I wrote from a spot of what I knew. I feel there are positively issues that really feel comparable. Clearly, issues are actually totally different with social media and telephones. However I’m curious when you guys really feel like, after watching the film, it feels actually totally different out of your expertise at the moment, or not likely that totally different.
KM: I really feel like there are numerous films which can be based mostly round that point for youngsters, so it wasn’t too arduous to narrate to. Nevertheless it was positively a change having to be taught the music and not having the ability to use new slang. All this totally different stuff got here into it, but it surely was actually cool to be taught a few of the early 2000s stuff and get into Charlie’s sneakers.
EB: Now, numerous [bullying] is extra like digital than it’s in particular person. I really feel like folks have gotten actually comfy bullying behind screens, as a result of it makes it simpler. It’s extra accessible for folks, and you don’t have to point out your self to do it. In order that was an enormous distinction as a result of I don’t assume bullying is much less prevalent now, but it surely’s positively taken a distinct type. So studying the script, performing it out, and seeing it extra lively and in particular person than I’ve seen in actual life was fascinating. I assumed that was cool as a result of, clearly, I wasn’t a teen within the 2000s. There are nonetheless a bunch of types of bullying in particular person, however I really feel prefer it’s far more direct within the movie.
The Hollywood model of this film would possible simplify the dynamics between Ben and Jake, however they’re extra advanced than merely sufferer and bully.
EB: The best way Charlie wrote it was actually nice. You may actually see that there’s extra nuance to every character. Charlie, the solid, the producers, and the crew have been actually nice in that sense. They polished it within the ultimate minimize to see that there are totally different layers to folks. Jake’s slightly extra insecure, and Ben desires to slot in but in addition doesn’t need to exclude Eli. That was cool for me to learn and see all the different children act that out.
KM: That was the factor all alongside that made it so good. After I was truly first studying it, I used to be pondering I wished it to be extra straight-on bullying. I’d say that to Charlie, however Charlie can be like, “No, it’s higher when you simply act such as you’re getting in his head.” He was swearing to me that it was higher, and then I watched it, and it positively is healthier like that. Charlie, what have been a few of the issues that we’d say on set? You’ll positively give me some ideas.
CP: It will simply be like, “Make him the one who needs to be awkward.”
KM: Jake is essentially the most insecure one, however he’s placing on as somebody safe in his personal approach. Ben is making an attempt to be himself and make associates, however Jake is unquestionably focusing on that and totally [bowling him over] with confidence. Each time Ben tries to slot in, Jake has to essentially pin him and get him.
CP: And also you simply sit there, take a look at him, and watch for him to make the following transfer. That made him lose all the ability.
KM: It’s completely thought out [by Charlie] how I’m focusing on the children going by way of adolescence. It’s a water polo camp, in order that they’re in a pool. After all, children are going to get a rash and pimples. Stuff’s going to occur, so I’m focusing on those that it’s occurring to. If I noticed some pimples coming on Ben, I’d be like, “Oh, that is the one which I’m going to get, and say he has the plague subsequent.”
CP: We’d do an entire take the place it was like a joke, and then we’d do a take the place it’s actually critical. We’d combine it up, too, and I feel that helped create this efficiency the place you’re at all times on that razor’s fringe of [wondering], “Is Jake ever critical?”
KM: Yeah, that’s what makes it actually good. Because it goes again and forth, folks don’t know if it’s a joke or not, like once I’m explaining the plague to him to start with. However then, towards the top when the music comes on, I’m actually speaking concerning the pimples, and it begins to look actual. I am going in and out of it being actual and being pretend. Which one did you select extra of while you have been enhancing, Charlie? Did you select the joking or the intense [takes] extra?
CP: The actually good factor is that by the point I used to be within the edit, I didn’t even keep in mind which was which. I couldn’t inform myself, so I don’t even know.
Your casting director, Rebecca Dealy, mentioned one of many issues that jumped out to her within the script was that it didn’t overly intellectualize the actions of younger boys, which is extra in step with how 12-year-olds undergo life. Did that additionally apply to manufacturing, making an attempt to strategy the characters extra by way of intuition and emotion?
CP: I feel that the script was at all times clear on the easy factor that was occurring right here. Ben doesn’t know the group, and he’s becoming a member of the group by making an attempt to sit down on the desk and simply mix in. Jake’s testing him out slightly bit. One other factor for Jake was simply to at all times be observing issues and be very conscious of stuff. He sees this new child sit down, and you have been watching the best way he was interacting with the group, listening to how he talked, and realized that he can’t pronounce the phrase “cease.” He latches onto that simply to check how he’s gonna cope with giving Ben slightly little bit of shit. Is he gonna be humorous about it? Is he gonna get upset? You’re at all times testing him. There’d at all times be a transparent “that is what this scene is about,” and then it will simply be about leaving room to discover the place we took it from there.
KM: A number of the opposite bullies, like Matt and Logan, are very outward with their talking when he comes and sits down. However you possibly can inform that Jake, when Ben’s sitting down, goes to search out one thing to focus on him with. He waited, waited, and then Ben mentioned, “Sop.”
EB: Charlie had a really clear imaginative and prescient, however he was very open to us making an attempt new issues. That’s actually essential numerous the time in movie as a result of it’s nice to have one thing in entrance of you [where] you already know what to do, what the character’s emotion is, and what the director desires. However to have a relationship with the director and author that lets you have extra leeway and improvisation was actually useful. He was asking us our opinion on it, and that made it really feel extra pure for me.
Everett, it’s my understanding that you just and Charlie labored collectively to consider Ben’s emotional state going right into a scene, and that will information the shot alternative. How did your collaboration work?
CP: I feel we’d attempt to very merely block the scene with out getting too into the efficiency of it, simply to get the shot up. The primary time, I’d be like, “Simply go for it.” After which, it is perhaps like, “Strive letting it discover its form slightly bit. Don’t allow them to see how harassed you’re. Attempt to get this one particular person that can assist you out,” with you and Elliott [Heffernan] or one thing like that. Then, you’ll lock into the notice and strive it one other approach. We’d hold discovering it. Or, generally, I wouldn’t name minimize and hold going to see the place it took us.
EB: That was essentially the most useful factor for me. It’s far more pure while you work collectively and construct it organically. Like I mentioned earlier than, it’s nice to have one thing in entrance of you so you already know the fundamental feelings and fundamental actions are. However, after that, it’s gotta really feel human. If there’s no room so that you can do something totally different than what it says, or there’s no room for any form of adjustment, then it’s simply going to really feel stiff. That helped me get into Ben. Charlie talked about the scene with me and Elliott, who performs Tic Tac, the place we’re consuming Cheetos and Doritos sitting in opposition to the wall. That was completely improvised, which I assumed was actually cool. It was like 20 minutes simply speaking about no matter, and it felt like a dialog simply with him. I assumed that was a very cool instance of improvisation and what we did going off of one another.
I liked listening to about a few of the totally different rehearsal methods, like getting acquainted within the varied taking pictures areas and doing structured improv in character. From every of your views, what was most useful by way of constructing the group dynamics amongst campers?
KM: Charlie would even have us doing that so much in explaining the plague scene. He would movie it as we’d simply stroll by way of the large warehouse that we have been taking pictures in. I can’t keep in mind too many particular workouts. I keep in mind with me and Everett’s performing coach, Jackie, we’d do velocity read-throughs. She actually wished to make it not concerning the reminiscence in any respect, and it wasn’t. As soon as we acquired there, since we did it a lot, I knew just about each a part of the script that Jake was in. It was simply totally concerning the performing, and the strains simply began flowing out.
EB: We did video games. On the set the place all of the bunks have been, all of us sat in a circle and performed performing video games. Simply attending to know one another, we had every week of apply in rehearsal for water polo. That was actually nice to get to know everybody earlier than we began and type relationships with folks. Once you go in sort of chilly turkey with out understanding anybody, the dynamic can really feel slightly off generally. It was actually nice for me to satisfy everybody, have enjoyable, go to one another’s motels, and do water polo with everybody earlier than we truly did the filming course of.
Having made this movie about bullying and social dynamics, does it make you see issues otherwise in your lives exterior of the movie?
KM: Yeah, I can see it now if some child is getting messed with on the road psychologically. I can positively see it a lot extra. I inform some children to relax on another children generally.
EB: I agree with that. A number of the time, we see bullying in films as extra bodily and direct. It’s not essentially as psychologically messing together with your head. Generally, you possibly can’t see when somebody’s being bullied. It’s not at all times going to be very bodily or yelling, like supplying you with a swirly or a wedgie. It’s very actual, and I feel this movie does a very nice job of elevating consciousness that it’s a really actual factor that’s going on proper now.
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