Kevin Bacon, John Logan, & More Talk Queer Horror Film ‘They/Them’

They/Them (pronounced “They-slash-Them”), the new Blumhouse thriller that promises a queer take on the horror genre, is now officially available to stream on Peacock.

The film stars Kevin Bacon as Owen Whistler, the director of a conversion therapy institution that promises to “cure” several queer and trans campers who don’t conform to gender and sexuality expectations. They are promised a “new sense of freedom” by the end of the week, but as the counselors attempt to psychologically break down each camper, a mysterious killer starts claiming victims. To protect themselves, the campers must work together and reclaim their power if they’re going to survive the horrors of the camp.

As the mastermind behind They/Them, Oscar-nominated screenwriter John Logan (Gladiator, The Aviator, Skyfall) was excited to make his directorial debut with this story. A lifelong horror fan, he says the idea for the feature film has been germinating in his mind for many years.

“Since I was a kid, I have always loved horror movies,” he recalls in a press statement. “I think that’s because there’s a school of academic thought called ‘monster theory,’ which embraces the idea that monsters represent the other, the societal outcast. And as a gay young man, I felt other, so I was drawn to characters like Dracula, Dr. Frankenstein, and the Wolf Man. I felt that very strange sense of kinship with these characters who were different, who were outlawed, and who were forbidden because I felt I was one of those people growing up.”

Additionally, the film’s cast and crew tackle a topical tale that’s a clever appropriation of classic horror tropes in service of an LGBTQ narrative, which is simultaneously powerful and fun. The casting process for the film was a long one, as the entire creative team knew just how important it was to get the right actors for each and every role.

They/Them also stars Carrie Preston, Theo Germaine, Austin Crute, Darwin Del Fabro, Cooper Koch, Monique Kim, and Anna Lore, all of whom spoke with Instinct alongside Bacon, Logan, and executive producer Scott Turner Schofield.