What we flagged
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Our take
Rated MA 15+, The Plague (2025) follows a socially awkward tween through a water-polo camp summer where ruthless hierarchy and peer cruelty push his anxiety into psychological turmoil. Strong language, physical meanness, and sexual talk sit inside that camp world the whole time. ClearAge puts it around 17 for mature older teens and adults who can handle that intensity.
Uplifting themes
Compassion, standing up to peer pressure, and being yourself surface by the end. A lot of cruelty comes first. The kinder message has to push through that Ben still tries to care about Eli and do the right thing even when he slips into the group. He is flawed. Those mistakes clearly teach him something
Story (may spoil tone)
A socially awkward tween endures the ruthless hierarchy at a water polo camp, his anxiety spiraling into psychological turmoil over the summer.
What we flagged
Details
Violence Hierarchy at camp turns into bat vandalism and a fight where one boy tr…
Hierarchy at camp turns into bat vandalism and a fight where one boy tries to drown another. That meanness is physical and ugly. Peer violence carries those beats
Language Around camp the boys lean hard on the f-word, the s-word, and the b-wor…
Around camp the boys lean hard on the f-word, the s-word, and the b-word. Sexual slang about boners and oral sex rides along in those same conversations
Sex / nudity Graphic sex talk among tween and teen boys covers orgasms, lube, and a…
Graphic sex talk among tween and teen boys covers orgasms, lube, and a wet dream. A bunk-bed moment implies masturbation without turning it into a full scene
Drugs / alcohol Alcohol and a rolled substance show up on camera in a few camp scenes,…
Alcohol and a rolled substance show up on camera in a few camp scenes, used by the boys themselves. Adults are not the ones using. The kids do it in plain view
Frightening Psychological dread and body-horror anxiety run under the bullying all…
Psychological dread and body-horror anxiety run under the bullying all summer. The plague rumor makes camp feel unsafe for sensitive kids
Self-harm / suicide Digging into skin until it bleeds and a graphic scissors finger-cutting…
Digging into skin until it bleeds and a graphic scissors finger-cutting scene put self-harm on screen in hard detail. Those beats sit at the center of the story. They are tough to sit through
Child peril / abuse Twelve-year-old boys on screen face a drowning attempt, graphic self-ha…
Twelve-year-old boys on screen face a drowning attempt, graphic self-harm, and ruthless peer cruelty. Adult supervision barely steps in. That harm keeps going
Bullying / discrimination Jake turns Eli into a contagious outcast, and that sustained ostracism…
Jake turns Eli into a contagious outcast, and that sustained ostracism drives the plot. Peer pressure and clique cruelty fill the whole summer. Nothing about it feels like a side beat
Gore / death / weapons Finger-cutting self-harm lands graphic and bloody, and skin gets picked…
Finger-cutting self-harm lands graphic and bloody, and skin gets picked until it bleeds. Across several scenes, that injury detail is the body-horror focus
Dangerous behaviour Self-harm methods shown on screen, including cutting with scissors, cou…
Self-harm methods shown on screen, including cutting with scissors, could be copied by vulnerable viewers. Extra caution makes sense if your kid already struggles with this
Eating disorders / body image We did not see eating in this one
We did not see eating in this one
Mental health Camp pressure and the need to fit in send Ben's anxiety and identity pa…
Camp pressure and the need to fit in send Ben's anxiety and identity panic into a spiral. That turmoil is a main summer thread. It never fades into background flavor
Gambling We did not see gambling in this one
We did not see gambling in this one
Grief / bereavement We did not see grief in this one
We did not see grief in this one
Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
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Talk after watching
- Characters face prejudice or unfair treatment in The Plague. How do people push back with dignity?
- The story centers on a socially awkward tween endures the ruthless hierarchy at a water polo camp, his anxiety spiraling into psychological turmoil over the summer. What surprised you most?
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The Plague
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