By Robert Yaniz Jr.

DAY 3 OF THE 2018 HOLIDAY BINGE

Chloe Grace Moretz leads a complex look into the horrors of gay conversion therapy.

THE HYPE

Way back in 2010, audiences discovered the precocious talents of Chloe Grace Moretz as the then-13-year-old star donned a cape as the masked vigilante Hit-Girl in Kick-Ass. Since then, she has seamlessly made the transition from the child star of Let Me In to far darker, meatier roles. Although the actress has attempted to go mainstream in YA fare like The 5th Wave, the first of her two 2018 films (the other being the Suspiria remake) makes the best case yet for her talent and her destiny to find her place in indie film.

THE STORY

The Miseducation of Cameron Post, based on the 2012 Emily M. Danforth novel, follows the titular teen (Moretz) as she is sent to a gay conversion therapy center. Once there, Cameron grapples with her attraction to women and ultimately must decide if her feelings are truly a sin, as the administrators believe, or simply who she is. The film’s focus on this dilemma is strikingly singular. Miseducation doesn’t overly complicate its plot, allowing it to more fully embrace the predicament of Cameron and her peers at God’s Promise.

THE CAST

Naturally, the success of director Desiree Akhavan’s film hinges on Moretz herself. Thankfully, she brings the right balance of inner conflict, angst and wry humor to the role, truly embodying a teen girl who feels trapped by circumstance. John Gallagher Jr. — who has delivered a series of underrated turns in recent years — is likewise pitch-perfect as Reverend Rick, one of the center’s main fixtures. His character and his onscreen sister, played by Jennifer Ehle, capture opposing takes to this brand of religion-based therapy.

THE PRODUCTION

The indie aesthetic of Miseducation lends a real sense of authenticity to it all, and the editing helps put audiences squarely in the jarring, overwhelmed life that its protagonist finds herself stuck in. Ashley Connor’s deft cinematography brings the story to visceral life and makes the pointed social commentary inherent to Miseducation feel that much more evocative. Even though many of its side characters feel underdeveloped and its story undercooked, the point of it all comes roaring to life thanks to the team behind the camera.

THE VERDICT

Although Akhavan’s film is set in the 1990s, its relevance to today’s social issues cannot be overstated. The LGBT community continues to fight for equality, and while it appears that progress has been made, much like Miseducation‘s own iceberg metaphor, there’s a lot beneath the surface that is so rarely exposed. For both Moretz’s fearless, multilayered performance and its efforts to stir up discussion about the very real threat the gay conversion therapy poses, The Miseducation of Cameron Post is easy to recommend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEdngvMGjg0

The Miseducation of Cameron Post stars Chloe Grace Moretz, John Gallagher Jr., Sasha Lane, Forrest Goodluck, Marin Ireland and Jennifer Ehle and is directed by Desiree Akhavan.