A new horror from Blumhouse is causing quite the stir, with people divided about the hidden meaning of the title as much as they are about the premise.
While there have been a few films based on the controversial topic of conversion camp therapy, this might be the first slasher of its kind.
Kevin Bacon stars as Whistler Camp’s leader Owen, but he’s not the only horror the LGBTQ+ group of teens face then they arrive, as they must also survive a mysterious masked killer on the loose.
Now to the title. The film is called They/Them, which is actually pronounced ‘they slash them’. Get it?
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The internet certainly does, and while some people think it’s a genius double entendre, others feel it pokes fun at people’s pronouns.
One Twitter user who falls into the latter group said: “Making a horror movie title using real pronouns is a GREAT association to create in people's minds!
“This is trash, and!! you’re just trying to profit off of our pronouns… and lowkey create fear association at the same time? Nope.”
Another said: “Looking forward to #theyslashthem They/Them, but have a major issue with title.
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“The movie's about conversion camp horrors. The ‘They’ & ‘Them’ use makes it sound like it's nonbinary/transgender violence on other #LGBTQ folx.
“‘Whistler Camp’ was a perfect and spookier title.”
“Was only a matter of time before Hollywood started cashing in on the pronoun game,” added a third, although they did say they’d ‘watch just about any slasher flick, good or bad’.
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On the other side of the fence, a lot of people dig the title, including this person who wrote: “I'm so curious about this one... and @kevinbacon back at a summer camp and horror movie.
“And let's be honest, They Slash Them has got to be one of the most clever movie titles ever!”
A second commented: “Why does this look amazing???? I NEED to watch it!! Plus, they went hard on with the title.”
Another who retweeted the trailer simply wrote: “Still the best title.”
While They/Them has received some flack from the online community, ultimately it seems a lot of people are excited to see what is described as an ‘LGBTQIA+ empowerment tale’.
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Speaking about the production process, director John Logan told Cinemablend about how they dealt with the safety of the young cast when filming what could’ve potentially been triggering scenes.
“That was wildly important to us,” he said. “And from the very beginning I worked with GLAAD and [executive producer] Scott Turner Schofield who’s an advisor at GLAAD, about creating a safe space on our set.
“And we had endless zooms and sessions to try and create that, and so everyone would understand things like use of pronouns, which bathroom to use. So there would be a comfort level around the basics.
“But beyond that it was really for me, working really closely with the actors. Because I’m not non-binary, I’m not trans. So I needed to understand their experience.”
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He continued: “Our actors were so generous about sharing with me. And the creation of the creators was a binary event. It was me and them who created those characters.
“So I think they felt safe with me to talk about things both as a writer and director, and they felt very safe in the environment.”
If you’re interested in checking it out for yourself, They/Them will debut on Peacock on Friday, August 5.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the LGBT Foundation on 0345 3 30 30 30, 10am–6pm Monday to Friday, or email [email protected]
Topics: Film and TV, LGBTQ
Daisy Phillipson