From Peacock and Blumhouse comes the next camp slasher film to rival Friday the 13th, down to including the same cast member. They/Them, pronounced “they-slash-them,” follows a group of LGBTQIA+ teens sent to a gay conversion camp for a week. The camp isn’t what they expected it to be, and it seems like there may be something a bit more sinister in store for them as they try to make it out alive.

The film marks the directorial debut of John Logan. Logan has previously worked on Gladiator, Hugo, and Skyfall and has a successful career as a playwright with two Tony nominations under his belt. Logan also wrote the film. Jason Blum and Michael Aguilar serve as producers, while They/Them’s star Kevin Bacon serves as an executive producer alongside Logan, Jon Romano (Vengeance, Firestarter), Scott Turner Schofield, and Howard Young (Sinister 2, Lore). Lauren Heath (MacGyver) serves as an associate producer.

Pack your bags and grab your flashlight as we go off to camp to learn everything there is to know about They/Them.

They/Them: The Plot

     Peacock

Summer camp takes a whole new meaning at Whistler Camp. As teens pile off the bus, they are introduced to the camp’s owner Owen Whistler (Kevin Bacon), who tells them it’s going to be a nice week. Though the camp is advertised as a gay conversion camp based on the provided plot synopsis, Whistler tells the group he “can’t make them straight,” but he might be able to help with any of the bullying they’ve faced or the feelings they have. Right off the bat, this seems fishy, as gay conversion camps are designed to utilize conversion therapy to force individuals into a specific mold. Why would he say something like that when people know what the purpose of these camps is?

As the trailer moves along, it’s clear there is a mix of group therapy sessions and solo meetings to discuss the teens’ orientations and/or identities. The group seems to notice the week isn’t what they thought it was going to be. Veronica (Monique Kim) doesn’t seem to understand what’s going on at the camp, commenting that they’d “understand it a lot more if there was Bible-thumping and queer-bashing.” This is reinforced when, during a group therapy session, Whistler says there is no judgment taking place. Aren’t these camps designed specifically to judge people for not being within society’s preconceived norms?

Maybe there’s no judgment because the teens aren’t meant to survive the camp. They find photos suggesting that the camp has been around for quite some time and seem to conclude that something is not right about Whistler Camp. From the odd therapist to a masked killer breaking a car window, it seems clear the teens are in for the week of their lives. The only question that remains is who will make it out alive.

They/Them: The Cast

Kevin Bacon stars as Owen Whistler, the head of Whistler Camp. He’s known for a variety of horror films, like the original Friday the 13th, Tremors, and You Should Have Left, which is also a Blumhouse Productions film. His non-horror projects include Footloose, X-Men: First Class, and Apollo 13.

The other members of the ensemble cast include Carrie Preston (To the Bone, Claws) in an unnamed role, Anna Chlumsky (Inventing Anna, Veep) as Molly, Theo Germaine (The Politician)​​​​​​​ as Jordan, Quei Tann (Dear White People, How to Get Away with Murder)​​​​​​​ as Alexandra, Austin Crute (Booksmart)​​​​​​​ as Toby, Monique Kim (What/If)​​​​​​​ as Veronica, Anna Lore (All American)​​​​​​​ as Kim, Cooper Koch​​​​​​​ as Stu, Darwin del Fabro​​​​​​​ (Dangerous Liaisons) as Gabriel, Mark Ashworth​​​​​​​ (Fear Street: Part Three - 1666) as Balthazar, Noelle Cameron as Amy, Jack Caron as Kane, Juan De Jesus​​​​​​​ as Robert, Destiny Freeman as Lar, Hayley Griffith​​​​​​​ as Sarah, and Boone Platt (The Gray Man, Black Lightning) as Zane.

Release Date

They/Them will be available to stream on NBC’s Peacock starting August 5, 2022.

Everything Else We Know

The film was initially called Whistler Camp when Deadline reported on it in 2021 before becoming unnamed. During production, Logan revealed the new title of the film as Rejoice, in an Instagram post during the film’s production. When Deadline confirmed the film was going to be released on Peacock in October, it was once again untitled. When The Hollywood Reporter announced the film’s release date, They/Them was the final title.

In the same article, Logan described that the idea for the film had been with him for a long time. The writer wanted to create a movie that put the characters that weren’t always seen on screen in the spotlight and hopes people celebrate the love between them as the credits roll.

Relive some of your genre favorites by remembering their iconic kills before They/Them hits Peacock.

“They/Them” has been germinating within me my whole life. I’ve loved horror movies for as long as I can remember, I think because monsters represent ‘the other’ and as a gay kid, I felt a powerful sense of kinship with those characters who were different, outlawed, or forbidden. I wanted to make a movie that celebrates queerness, with characters that I never saw when I was growing up. When people walk away from the movie, I hope they’re going to remember the incredible love that these kids have for each other and how that love needs to be protected and celebrated.