Monster Camp

This movie really didn't accomplish what it could have accomplished. The last five minutes of this movie were brilliant, but the rest was a bit of a let down. If you are going to make a movie like this you had better either 1) make fun of them, 2) have a heck of a story like in king of kong, or 3) dive into the psychology of these people. Clearly the director was going for number three. Except he only scratched the edges, he was afraid to puncture anything and to find any emotional resonance. These people aren't normal. They're weird, they know it, but they have stories to tell. Why are they doing it? How was high school for them? Do they feel happy with life? Does the fantasy world compensate for the areas in their lives that are so sorely lacking? And what of the future? At the end of the movie we're left with few real authentic answers. And the answers that are given, much like the subjects of the film, are too awkward to carry any real weight.

If you want to watch a movie about a weird group of people, start with anything Louis Theroux has ever done or watch a few of Errol Morris' films like The Gates of Heaven or Vernon, Florida. Those movies actually look deeper into humanity rather than just saying, "well, it's a bit weird but hey they make friends so it's OK!" Without ever asking the question, "why couldn't they make these friends on the outside"