Austin Crute and Theo Germaine, stars of the new queer slasher thriller They/Them, spend about sixty full seconds gassing each other up over Zoom. “You did such a good job,” Theo says, referring to Austin’s performance in the film. “You did such a good job, get out of here,” says Austin about Theo’s take on their character.
The two actors gushing over each other confirms that their genuine — and frankly, adorable — off-screen connection mirrors their on-screen friendship. Though unfortunately, their friendship in They/Them isn’t as lighthearted. Theo and Austin’s characters are forced to become friends under grave circumstances, finding solace and protection in one another as they try to survive the horrors of a queer conversion camp.
They/Them, pronounced “they slash them” and out today on Peacock, follows a group of LGBTQ+ teens arriving at Whistler Camp, a “progressive” week-long conversion camp nestled away in the woods. Camp leader Owen Whistler (played by Kevin Bacon) promises a gentle approach, one that will help the teens find “a new sense of freedom.” Yet, with each passing day, the young campers are psychologically targeted by the camp’s counselors in attempts to manipulate and destroy their sexual and gender identities. As the psychological threats persist, a physical threat manifests: a masked killer begins to claim victims at the camp. The teens must join forces to not only make it through the week, but to make it out of Whistler Camp alive…CONTINUE TO ARTICLE