The Plague Infects Theaters This Winter: Charlie Polinger’s Breakout Festival Hit Expands Nationwide with IFC

Kyo Martin, Lennox Espy, Caden Burris, and Kolton Lee star in Charlie Polinger’s The Plague, a dark and gripping portrait of cruelty and coming-of-age.

If The Substance of Lord of the Flies had a child, it would probably look something like Charlie Polinger’s The Plague — the haunting, feverishly talked-about coming-of-age thriller that’s been tearing through the festival circuit all year.

After shocking audiences at Fantastic Fest and making a splash this week at the St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF 2025), The Plague is officially heading to theaters through IFC Films, with a limited New York and L.A. release on December 24, followed by a nationwide rollout on January 2, 2026.

The only tragedy? Because of that early-January expansion, The Plague will just miss most “Best of 2025” lists — but trust us, this is the one everyone will be talking about heading into the new year.

I caught The Plague again this weekend at SLIFF with my buddy Paul Hibbard from Hysteria Film Fest, and watching the audience reactions unfold was its own experience. Shock. Silence. Awe. The look on Paul’s face said it all — The Plague delivers.

“From script to completion this film has always had a very strong vision. Charlie Polinger is a filmmaker with a great future ahead. I’m proud to have been part of his first film along with these incredible producers and companies.”

— Joel Edgerton to Variety

That statement from Edgerton, who also stars in the film, only reinforces what’s already clear from watching it: The Plague is the arrival of a serious new talent.

The story centers on an elite all-boys water polo camp, where social hierarchies form fast and cruelty hides beneath sunlit surfaces. One outcast becomes the subject of a cruel in-joke known as “the plague,” and as that ritual humiliation spreads, the boys’ friendships, rivalries, and psyches begin to rot in ways that blur the line between body and mind.

Polinger’s direction channels the intensity of Full Metal Jacket and the social dread of The Lord of the Flies, transforming the familiar terrain of youth sports into a brutal psychological battleground. His young cast — led by Everett Blunck, Kyo Martin, Kenny Rasmussen, and Caden Burris — is nothing short of extraordinary, each performance simmering with realism and pain.

What The Plague does so brilliantly is expose how systems of power — even among kids — breed fear, shame, and conformity. It’s a slow infection, emotional before it’s physical, and that’s what makes it linger.

The buzz is real. From Austin to St. Louis, every crowd that’s seen The Plague has walked out rattled and ready to talk. IFC’s new trailer, released today, adds a few fresh glimpses into the film’s sharp, humid tension — teasing just enough without spoiling the descent.

It’s not just one of the best films of the year — it’s one of the boldest debuts in recent memory. Once people get their hands on The Plague, like the story itself, they won’t be able to shake it.

Written and Directed by: Charlie Polinger

Cast: Joel Edgerton, Everett Blunck, Kayo Martin, Kenny Rasmussen