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Queer Palm Winner ‘Teenage Sex and Death’ Opens U.S. Theaters

8/6/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma opens in U.S. theaters on August 7.
Writer-director Jane Schoenbrun heads a cast featuring Hannah Einbinder, Gillian Anderson and Jack Haven.
Jack Haven plays Little Death, a trans child who drowned and returns in a hazmat suit.
The R-rated 106-minute film won the Queer Palm at Cannes Un Certain Regard, earned three stars and scored 80/100 on Mubi.

History

Historical Context

Ang Lee’s 2005 film *Brokeback Mountain*—which won the Venice Golden Lion, a Golden Globe for Best Drama and grossed $178 million worldwide—became a landmark for LGBTQ cinema, prompting studios to pursue queer stories. That shift underlies the current pressure on Hollywood, reflected in Jane Schoenbrun’s trans-centered *Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma* earning Cannes’ Queer Palm.

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Story summary

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma opens in U.S. theaters on August 7.
Writer-director Jane Schoenbrun heads a cast featuring Hannah Einbinder, Gillian Anderson and Jack Haven.
Jack Haven plays Little Death, a trans child who drowned and returns in a hazmat suit.
The R-rated 106-minute film won the Queer Palm at Cannes Un Certain Regard, earned three stars and scored 80/100 on Mubi.

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