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    Theater Camp Review (2023 Movie)

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    By on Movies

    Whether you were a theater kid in school or not, Theater Camp will surely put a smile on your face throughout its quick 94-minute runtime.

    theater camp movie review
    Molly Gordon, Ben Platt, Alexander Bello, Kyndra Sanchez, Bailee Bonick, Quinn Titcomb, Madisen Marie Lora, Donovan Colan and Luke Islam appear in a still from Theater Camp by Molly Goron and Nick Lieberman, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute

    Every Sundance Film Festival gives us a crowd pleaser. There was the eventual Best Picture-winning “CODA” in 2021, and Cooper Raiff’s delightful second feature film, “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” stole our hearts last year.

    The festival has done it again with the hilariously loveable and overly dramatic comedy “Theater Camp,” the Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman-directed film that won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for its Ensemble. Theater kids will fall in love with this Christopher Guest mocumentary-style film that follows a group of eccentric summer camp counselors and their talented campers as they deal with an unusual experience this year. Even those who never were involved in drama will get a kick out of the over-the-top scenarios they all find themselves in.

    Located in upstate New York is AdirondACTS, a scrappy theater camp that brings together the most eager and enthusiastic young performers. But this summer’s camp experience gets off on the wrong foot when beloved founder Joan (Amy Sedaris) falls into a coma. The camp is then put in the hands of her clueless but loveable YouTuber son Troy (Jimmy Tatro) who doesn’t know a thing about theater.

    In one hilarious scene, tech guru Glenn (played by standout Noah Galvin) tries to explain the difference between a straight play and musical, to which Troy asks what’s a gay play (a musical, according to Glenn). Even though they seem doomed with Troy at the helm, along with impending financial doom for the camp, the show must go on.

    Helping him run the place are counselors a theater kid could only dream of. There’s Amos (Ben Platt) and Rebecca-Diane (Gordon), two best friends in charge of the drama and music programs who take their jobs very seriously. Ever since they met at a Juilliard audition, they’ve been unstoppable, and they task themselves with writing the main production each year. This year’s is about the founder’s life, called “Still, Joan,” which is still nowhere close to being written.

    There’s also costume designer Gigi (Owen Thiele) and dance instructor Clive (Nathan Lee Graham, who are every bit glamorous and don’t care if they hurt any of the campers’ feelings. New to the group is Janet (Ayo Edibiri), who answered Troy’s ad about joining the camp and has a stacked resume, but doesn’t know the first thing about stage combat or performing with a mask.

    This fabulously assembled group takes every moment of “Theater Camp” up a notch. Tatro is hilarious as the clueless leader and has so many great moments, like when he starts dancing while a child sings Post Malone’s hit “Better Now.” Platt and Gordon have ace chemistry and encourage each other to be as ridiculous as possible in the film. From discussing which child seems less of a virgin to play the lead role to verbally attacking a student for using a tear stick during rehearsal, you just can’t help but commend them for their commitment to the bit.

    Edibiri is also a delight as she tries to “fake it until she makes it” through the summer and, of course, has many blunders along the way. But the true standouts in this delightful film are the child actors. They’ve got some incredible acting and vocal chops and already have a knack for comedic timing, like Alan Kim, who stole everyone’s hearts in “Minari” and does it again here as an aspiring agent.

    Looming over all the madness is the threat of foreclosure and a possible merger with a nearby upscale theater camp, which includes a few great scenes between Troy and Caroline (Patti Harrison), who eagerly wants to acquire AdirondACTS. It all leads to an impressive grand finale where we finally see “Still, Joan” put on. The kids are simply incredible on stage, the production is Broadway quality, and there’s a fantastic closing song that seriously should be considered for next year’s Best Original Song category.

    Whether you were a theater kid in school or not, “Theater Camp” will surely put a smile on your face throughout its quick 94-minute runtime. It goes by so fast that you’ll wish for even more of this rambunctious and dramatic comedy. Gordon and Lieberman expanded their short film to give us this movie, so let’s keep our fingers crossed that they keep adding to the “Theater Camp Universe.”

    Rating: 4.5 out of 5

    NEXT: Infinity Pool Review (2023 Movie)

    About Theater Camp

    Tony Award winner Ben Platt and Molly Gordon star in the new original comedy Theater Camp as Amos and Rebecca-Diane – lifelong best friends and drama instructors at a rundown camp in upstate New York. When clueless tech-bro Troy (Jimmy Tatro) arrives to run the property (into the ground), Amos, Rebecca-Diane and production manager Glenn (Noah Galvin) band together with the staff and students to stage a masterpiece, and keep their beloved summer camp afloat.

    Theater Camp played at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.