If there’s one thing you can count on in horror it’s that summer camp is never a safe way to spend a few hot weeks. Camp horror is well worn territory so when a film can take it in a new direction it’s a really special treat. Marshmallow, the first feature from director Daniel DelPurgatorio does exactly that. I’m going to have to do some fancy footwork to tell you how much I enjoyed the film without spoiling the surprises for you, so I will do my best!
Marshmallow follows shy, awkward, Morgan (Kue Lawrence) as he is being sent off to camp for the summer. Naturally he doesn’t want to go, especially following the unexpected passing of his beloved grandfather, but his mother insists that it will be good for him. As expected he is quickly and viciously bullied by his bunk mates (and one of the counselors), but also as expected he makes fast friends with a handful of other less athletically inclined kids. One night around the campfire the counselors tell a chilling story about a doctor who experimented on and killed his family and his neighbors on what is now the grounds for the camp. Is this just a story to keep kids in their bunks at night, or could the doctor still be out there looking for victims?
After a terrifying incident with bunk-mate and bully CJ (Sutton Johnston), Morgan has trouble sleeping and sees a figure in the woods who appears to be attacking anyone else who has the misfortune of being awake. I’ll save the rest for your own viewing of the film, but it is definitely a fresh take on spooky things lurking in the woods!
Credit: Hemlock Circle ProductionsUnlike most films in the camp sub-genre, Marshmallow focuses on the young campers rather than the nearly adult counselors and other staff. Having a very young cast can be challenging, not only for filming, but also for finding actors who can pull of the range of emotions without injecting the Disney-fied over-acting that sometimes happens with underage talent. These campers absolutely nail their parts! Lawrence plays a vulnerable and likable Morgan, Max Malas shines as Morgan’s smartly sarcastic buddy Dirk, and Kai Cech is delightfully sassy as Morgan’s budding crush Pilar. You quickly lose yourself in the characters and forget their age entirely, which, in this case, is perfect for the story.
In the Q&A following the Panic Fest 2025 World Premiere of the film DelPurgatorio noted some of the challenges of filming with young actors:
We shot in the middle of summer, and it didn’t get dark until 9:30, and we could shoot until 10. So there was a lot of jumping around. We’re like, okay, let’s shoot. And we’d shoot for like 30 insane minutes, and then that was it. So we had a certain amount of time on Monday through Thursday that we could shoot up until. And then Friday and Saturday, we got an extra hour. So we just had to coordinate a lot of stuff.
It is incredible that they got such a successful film set mostly at night out of these working challenges.
Although I can’t get into the twists of this script, writer Andy Greskoviak definitely keeps viewers on their toes with this story. The pace allowed time to get to know the campers without lingering or drawing out any of the details to the point of boredom. The characters do play into stereotypes but still feel fresh, especially the kids. The counselors fall more in step with the tropes we are used to, but once the climax hits we see more depth in them as well.
Whether you love camp horror or find it a little done to death Marshmallow is worth checking out. Fresh and fun, this one is likely to make it into your regular summer movie rotation.
Marshmallow made its World Premiere at Panic Fest 2025 on Saturday, March 29th, 2025.
