[FrightFest 2025]: Marshmallow

Certain horrors are tricksy things to approach. Marshmallow is a mystery box, something that reveals itself to be a far more interesting and better work when the second half takes hold. But to say why this film is good runs the risk of ruining the secrets harboured within. And yet, if you go with it, Marshmallow rewards with a finale that is rich, nuanced and emotionally impactful.

On the surface Marshmallow is your standard summer camp horror. The narrative follows 12-year-old Morgan as he heads to camp. He makes new friends, deals with the trauma caused by a near drowning in his past and gets drawn into a mystery around a campfire tale of the camp’s previous usage. The story goes that a doctor used to kidnap and experiment on children. And it’s just a campfire tale, surely?

Before its turn, Marshmallow wallows in perhaps two of the great tropes of post-70s horror – summer camps and dreams. Morgan is haunted by dreams, viscerally rendered here in some intense and surreal moments. Kue Lawrence does much of the heavy lifting of both these sequences and the film’s attempts to balance horror and comedic beats. His Morgan takes us along through the film’s slightly clunky first half on to a second half where Andy Greskoviak’s script clicks firmly into place.

The rest of the ensemble commit well to the dynamic at the centre of this film. Director Daniel DelPurgatorio is skilled at working with his younger cast to draw out powerful turns from them. DelPurgatorio has also produced visually arresting work with strong cinematography from Filip Vandewal. 

This is a work of two halves. A messy first half, with tonal shifts that threaten whiplash for the audience, gives way to a vastly superior second half that explores themes delicately, producing something much more interesting. Marshmallow marks Daniel DelPurgatorio as a director to watch out for and star Kue Lawrence as a screen presence that could go far. It’s a horror that comes with a big heart and some profound ideas, and if your interest makes it past some early stumbles you’ll find something very good here.

3.5 Screams out of 5