The horror genre has been in a thrilling renaissance for a number of years now, to the delight of fans. Many of these modern classics have come from Blumhouse, including projects like Halloween and The Invisible Man. The studio is also behind Kevin Bacon's upcoming queer horror movie They/Them, which feels like a mixture of Get Out and Friday the 13th.
They/Them is directed, written, and produced by John Logan, who is a co-founder of Blumhouse. The movie is set at a gay conversion therapy, where a variety of young queer folks are sent in order to try and become straight. Kevin Bacon's character runs the place, and the first trailer (seen above) shows him being thoroughly creepy.
The trailer opens on the young queer folks who are arriving at Whistler Camp seemingly at the behest of their loved ones. One familiar face is The Politician actor Theo Germaine, who is appears to be the protagonist of the film. Also featured as members of the staff are Inventing Anna star Anna Chlumsky and True Blood's Carrie Preston. The kids meet Kevin Bacon's Owen Whistler, whose smiling demeanor seemingly hides something more insidious.
Kevin Bacon is definitely intriguing in this first footage for They/Them, and he's not the only one. Early in the trailer for the upcoming streaming horror movie, Carrie Preston is shown therapizing and gaslighting Theo James' Jordan. It's a chilling sequence, one that definitely feels like a spiritual sibling to the hypnosis sequences from Get Out. But it looks like the movie is also going to have moments of slasher violence, and the camp setting definitely invokes Friday the 13th vibes. And smart money says the mysterious project is going to be an emotional one for LGBTQ+ horror fans watching it.
The trailer for They/Them definitely captures one's attention, and teases the violent terrors we'll be treated to in the upcoming slasher project. But it also succeeds by not actually revealing much about the movie's contents. We'll have to wait to really understand the various characters and their motivations. And I wouldn't be surprised if the trailer included some red herrings.
While the villain of They/Them could be the conversion camp itself, this trailer does show glimpses of a new masked killer. This only makes the Friday the 13th vibes feel even stronger, although it's clear that the streaming slasher will have a perspective unique to the horror genre as a whole. We'll just have to wait and see how it all shakes out, and which characters make it out of the movie alive.
The horror is so long-lasting because of the ways filmmakers can innovate and bringing something new to the table. While the genre has typically been popular with queer folks, few movies have actually focused on LGBTQ+ characters/storylines. They/Them is already groundbreaking in this regard, and for casting queer and trans actors. Plus, who doesn't want to see Kevin Bacon in a horror movie?
They/Them will be released on Peacock August 5th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
