As noted earlier on It’s A Stampede!, today I went to the cinema and watched three films back-to-back. I’ve previously talked about two of the movies – The House With A Clock In It’s Walls and The Predator – so now it’s time to talk about the third movie, The Miseducation of Cameron Post.

Clocking in at around the 90 minute mark, I slotted this film into my day rather nicely, which was handy because it’s currently receiving a limited cinematic screening. Why is The Miseducation of Cameron Post not getting top billing like many of the other films currently on release? Simple: It’s a small, independent film dealing with issues that face the LGBTQ community and as such it has a fairly limited appeal in the grand scheme of things.

Was The Miseducation of Cameron Post worth 90 minutes of my time? You bet!

For those who are unaware of this movie, which I would expect is a lot of people, The Miseducation of Cameron Post tells the story of a young girl, played by Chloë Grace Moretz, who is sent by her aunt to a gay conversion therapy centre. The centre is filled with teens who have all been ceremoniously dumped by their parents/guardians in order to put them back on the ‘right path’ (whatever that is) and be cured of their homosexual tendancies.

As you can imagine, this film isn’t a wacky comedy – it’s far from it – instead, The Miseducation of Cameron Post tackles a difficult, real-life issue which is effecting youths within the LGBTQ+ community. This is a subject that doesn’t get as much attention as it should, so it’s great that this film is shining a light on this story.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post

Throughout the course of the movie, the film focuses on the situation Cameron finds herself in as she has to deal with people who claim they have her best interests at heart. Of course, they don’t, because these are adults who are forcing their opinions on a teenager and making her suppress her instincts, thoughts and feelings in order to validate them.

At times, The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a difficult film to watch, mostly because it is inspired by a real story so there is an underlying truth to the events that play out. While we can walk away from this story after 90 minutes, the real people at the core of this tale are not so lucky.

It’s a real credit then that this movie is so well made. Crafting a film like this, which can provide a voice for teenagers may at least change a few minds and help those who really need it.

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So, what works?

Firstly, Chloë Grace Moretz who is perfect in this movie. As we’ve witnessed via the Kick-Ass films, Moretz is wise beyond her years and this works perfectly here as she plays a character who is both capable and vulnerable in equal measures. There’s a real honesty in Moretz’s performance, which is never overegged nor understated.

The other star of this film is Jennifer Ehle who plays centre founder and self-appointed conversion expert, Dr. Lydia March. Ehle brings a real nastiness to the role without descending into the territory of a moustache-twirling pantomime villain and the result is a character you hate simply because she is so real.

But the two standout performances aside, what really makes this film work so well is the story. This is a tale of how power can be taken, how it can be wielded and how it can be abused.

Powerful stuff and highly recommended.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post is on limited release now. If you want to see it, you’d best be quick.

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