Sleepaway Camp

Sleepaway Camp (also released as Nightmare Vacation) is a 1983 American slasher film written and directed by Robert Hiltzik, who also served as executive producer. The film tells the story of a young girl and her cousin who are sent to a summer camp, where a group of killings begins shortly after their arrival.

Summary
Angela Baker, a traumatized and very shy young girl, is sent to summer camp with her cousin. Shortly after her arrival, anyone with sinister or less than honorable intentions gets their comeuppance.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) Unlike most horror films that take place in a summer camp that try and copy Friday The 13th, this one manages to take it’s one route on a “summer camp horror film” plotline.
 * 2) Nicely done character and story development, especially with Angela Baker and her true, horrific nature.
 * 3) The death/murder scenes are unforgettable and creative, such as one of the victims getting stung by a swarm by a bees,
 * 4) All of the actors performances in this movie are excellent, especially from Felissa Rose as the murderous transgender, Angela Baker.
 * 5) The reveal of Angela really is a boy is one of the most unexpected horror film twist endings in cinema history.
 * 6) The idea of making a mysterious girl who’s really a boy with a troubled past that go on a murderous killing spree at a summer camp is pretty original.
 * 7) A nightmarish soundtrack that fits the tone of the movie very well.
 * 8) Brilliant cinematography and great camerawork, such as the ending when the audience discovers Angela is really a boy.

The Only Redeeming Quality

 * 1) It can be unsettling for being being extremely mean-spirited with the amounts of mistreatment Angela gets.

Reception
On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 80% rating based on 20 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The consensus reads, “Sleepaway Camp is a standard teen slasher elevated by occasional moments of John Waters-esque weirdness and a twisted ending.”