"Gripping" near-perfect thriller hailed as a "classic" lands new UK streaming home
The Plague, the acclaimed thriller starring Joel Edgerton, has landed a new streaming home in the UK. With a near-perfect approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this is a perfect weekend watch for fans of psychological dramas.The film follows Ben, a socially awkward 12-year-old who attends a summer camp run by his father. While there, he befriends Eli, a boy suffering from a fungal skin infection which the other children cruelly call "the plague"."Ben becomes entangled in a cruel, escalating ritual of scapegoating and fear," teases the synopsis. "As the lines between teasing and real harm blur, Ben is forced to confront his own complicity and the terrifying cost of belonging."Written and directed by Charlie Polinger, the thriller is billed as a "tense, darkly humorous coming-of-age story about masculinity, peer pressure and the horrors that fester when cruelty masquerades as a game". Who is in The Plague?Vertigo Releasing• Everett Blunck as Ben• Kayo Martin as Jake• Kenny Rasmussen as Eli• Joel Edgerton as Daddy Wags• Lennox Espy as Julian• Lucas Adler as Logan• Elliott Heffernan as Tic Tac• Caden Burris as Matt What did the critics say about The Plague?Vertigo ReleasingThe Plague garnered acclaim from critics upon its release last year, with Rotten Tomatoes currently reporting a near-perfect approval rating of 97% from 119 reviews. The audience score is lower, however, at 66%."The Plague earns its place in the pantheon of nerve-wracking coming-of age stories, declaring itself a classic," opined The Curb, while Collider dubbed it "one of the most vital movies in recent memory in capturing what it's like to be 12 or 13 years old".Slant Magazine similarly saw the film as important, writing: "The Plague is vividly, terrifyingly attuned to the way children create a social order that resists sensible adult intrusion and influence."The Houston Chronicle was also full of praise as they called it "gripping" while likening it to a "bad dream", adding: "It's less a full-blown nightmare and more a nerve-jangling unease that something sinister is going to happen."Where can I watch The Plague?Vertigo ReleasingThe Plague is available on both Sky Cinema and NOW, having been added to the streamers over the weekend. They both require a subscription - Sky Cinema costs £10 a month on top of a normal TV package, while the Cinema package with NOW costs £6.99 a month.Other Joel Edgerton movies you can stream right nowVertigo ReleasingEdgerton plays Owen Lars in the Star Wars universe, appearing in Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, as well as series Obi-Wan Kenobi. All of these, plus spy thriller Red Sparrow, are available to stream on Disney+.If you want to watch his Golden Globe-nominated performance in Train Dreams, then you'll need Netflix, while Zero Dark Thirty, Master Gardener and Thirteen Lives are all available on Prime Video.The Plague is streaming on Sky Cinema and NOW.Visit our Streaming Guide now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.The new edition of Living Legends, a collector's edition exploring the royal family, is here! Buy The Royals in newsagents or online.Reporter, Digital Spy
Stephanie is a freelance news writer, who previously covered WWE and AEW for Digital Spy.
After graduating with a degree in history from Queen Mary University, London, she studied journalism at Birkbeck University.
Outside of her work at Digital Spy, she writes about pop culture, with a special focus towards Irish media and how it intersects with politics.
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