Sleepaway Camp: The Cult Slasher That Broke the Rules

We're kicking off our summer camp slasher series with the weirdest, most unforgettable entry of them all: Sleepaway Camp (1983). From Camp Arawak's grimy charm and the movie's cast of oddball counselors and mean girls, to Angela's psychological core and *that* ending — we dig into what makes this low-budget cult classic so strangely compelling decades later. Along the way: trauma and Aunt Martha, practical gore effects, uneven-but-loveable performances, gender themes, the final image that still shocks first-time viewers, and our full scoring breakdown. Plus a preview of what's coming in Sleepaway Camp 2.