ALTOONA, Pa. — Penn State Altoona faculty members Brian Onishi, associate professor of philosophy, and Jeff Stoyanoff, associate professor of English and of women's, gender and sexuality studies, have released a new episode of their "Horror Joy" podcast. In the latest episode, the hosts continue their camp horror series with Charlie Polinger’s 2025 film “The Plague,” set at a 2003 summer water polo camp where the central terror is not a slasher but toxic masculinity, bullying and an ambiguous “plague” used to create in-groups and out-groups.
Stoyanoff and Onishi discuss how the plague functions as scapegoating and surveillance, how Ben (a new kid who has a speech impediment) and eccentric Eli become targets and how Jake’s bully leadership reflects power dynamics and absent/ineffective adults, including counselor “Daddy Wags” (Joel Edgerton). The hosts discuss the film’s dread-filled underwater cinematography, minimalist score, and ending centered on Ben’s blood-soaked, frenetic dance in addition to some discussions of broader plague narratives.
You can access the full episodes of "Horror Joy" on podcast providers or on Red Circle.