B Movies Blog

Hello, Movie Mavens! Welcome back to the B Movies Blog. Today, we’re popping Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman’s Theater Camp into the ol’ VCR. 

Friends, this is another one of those “I’ll be honest” reviews as in “I’ll be honest that I didn’t think I would be doing a review” reviews. 

Theater Camp is one of the funniest movies I’ve seen this year. Period. 

Part Drop Dead Gorgeous, part Wet Hot American Summer, and part Waiting for Guffman, you’ll be belly laughing throughout the entire movie. 

Amos (Ben Platt) and Rebecca-Diane (Molly Gordon) serve us Sharpay and Ryan Evans without the familial relation and with liberal arts degrees (I went to a liberal arts college, so I promise that isn’t a dig — it’s just the truth). 

The real standouts for me, though, were Jimmy Tatro and Noah Galvin. Tatro plays Troy Rubinsky, the son of camp owner Joan (Amy Sedaris), who has zero understanding of the theater community, while Noah Galvin plays Glenn, the camp’s jack-of-all-trades, who might have more star quality than anyone gives him credit for. 

I realized one of my friends and I had this dynamic. In the theater. While we were sitting next to each other. And it wasn’t a fun realization. 

With that being said, I also don’t want to knock the performances of the supporting cast. With the likes of Nathan Lee Graham, Owen Thiele, Ayo Edebiri, and Caroline Aaron, you can’t go wrong. 

Theater Camp also has a lot of heart (I feel like I’ve been saying this lately, but it’s just true). It captures the essence of not only summer camp, but arts programs. 

I wasn’t in theater, but I was in band for six years. While I hated my hometown, and it definitely wasn’t all sunshine and roses, there’s an undeniable bond you make within fine arts, be it band, theater, or art. These programs are so meaningful to children, and I can tell you from personal experience that the things I learned from band are still ingrained within me.

I also want to use this review to mention, yet again, why the SAG-AFTRA strikes are so important. Without writers like Molly Gordon, Nick Liberman, Ben Platt, and Noah Galvin, Theater Camp wouldn’t have been as impactful as it was. 

I love that The Jabbawockeez aren’t afraid to play small venues. 

I’ll never undercut acting and how it brings words to life. But, read that last sentence again. Actors bring WORDS to life. Words that have been painstakingly written to deliver the perfect comedic beat or dramatic pause. 

I’m not just saying this as a writer myself, but without writers, your favorite content wouldn’t be as powerful as it is. And, I think Theater Camp is the perfect movie to illustrate my point. Please support these strikes so that writers can receive a living wage and basic benefits. They aren’t asking for anything outlandish, as some CEOs might be leading you to believe. I digress. 

It wouldn’t surprise me if Theater Camp started a bit of a mockumentary revival. As a big Christopher Guest fan, I wouldn’t be mad at it. And, selfishly, I’d love to see something done with marching band because there’s a lot of rich content to work from. 

In short, Theater Camp is a must see, and you’ll be laughing long past curtain call.