History YMMV / SleepawayCamp

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: Mel's death by bow and arrow to the neck. For a very long time, the director would not say how the effect was achieved. It's that good. Eventually, though, it ''was'' revealed that the back of his neck had an arrowhead spring loaded that popped up when the first part hit his throat. Careful observation shows that his neck does become much greyer in the shot, clearly indicating it was done with some kind of neck appliance.

* NightmareRetardant: The ending isn't as scary if you know [[spoiler:Angela's face is just a mask, worn by a guy who had to get shitfaced to do the scene]], and if you think [[spoiler:[[NakedPeopleAreFunny her being naked]] is more silly than anything]]. Though on the other hand, it does help with the uncanny feeling of the whole thing. Also the fact that the counsellors are more concerned with [[spoiler:Angela being a boy]] than the fact that she's [[spoiler:decapitated Paul]]. You may find [[spoiler:Angela's bizarre facial expression and the breathing noises she makes]] hard to take seriously as well.

* NightmareRetardant: The ending isn't as scary if you know [[spoiler:Angela's face is just a mask, worn by a guy who had to get shitfaced to do the scene]], and if you think [[spoiler:[[NakedPeopleAreFunny her being naked]] is more silly than anything]]. Though on the other hand, it does help with the uncanny feeling of the whole thing. And the fact that the counsellors are more concerned with [[spoiler:Angela being a boy]] than the fact that she's [[spoiler:decapitated Paul]].

* NightmareRetardant: The ending isn't as scary if you know [[spoiler:Angela's face is just a mask, worn by a guy who had to get shitfaced to do the scene]]. Though on the other hand, it does help with the uncanny feeling of the whole thing. And the fact that the counsellors are more concerned with [[spoiler:Angela being a boy]] than the fact that she's [[spoiler:decapitated Paul]].

* CatharsisFactor: Billy and Meg get particularly nasty deaths, but they're both so horrible that it's very satisfying. Meg, who serves as one of Angela's worst bullies, gets [[spoiler:has her spine carved up slowly]].

** [[spoiler: Angela killing Paul. Did she reveal her true gender to him and kill him when he reacted with shock and horror like the counsellors? She appears to set it up after she catches him kissing Judy, but she knows what an AlphaBitch Judy is - so was Paul killed for his repeated advances on her even after she kept saying no? Or did she do it out of fear of how he'd react to her secret?]]

* AccidentalAesop: "Personal identity is vital in childhood development and being forced to present yourself as something you don't identify with is damaging". [[spoiler: For the entire movie, Angela was believed to be the surviving twin of a boating accident that killed her father and brother but she has an identity crisis after kissing Paul since it reminded her of her father and brother and the tragedy of losing them. However, the twist is that her brother, Peter, was actually the twin who survived the accident and his aunt forced him to take his better-received and deceased sister's identity because she didn't want another son. This caused gender identification issues for Peter and since his trauma was never validated, he eventually lost his mind and started killing people who tried to sexually assault him, virgin-shame him, and sexually harrass him. The twist also recontexualises the flashback where Peter and Angela see a post-coital moment between their father and Lenny, and a young Peter pointing at Angela's chest. Since Peter never had the accurate talk about sex and the relationship between Lenny and his father was never properly explained to him, he didn't know how to comprehend Paul's kiss and it left him deeply confused about who he was.]]

** It's never known if Ricky knows the truth about Angela or not. It could go either way whether he knew but was coerced into keeping it a secret or was kept in the dark his whole life. Or he once knew but has completely forgotten it.

** [[spoiler: Angela killing Paul. Did she reveal her true gender to him and kill him when he reacted with shock and surprise like the counsellors? She appears to set it up after she catches him kissing Judy, but she knows what an AlphaBitch Judy is - so was Paul killed for his repeated advances on her even after she kept saying no?]]
* CatharsisFactor: Billy and Meg get particularly nasty deaths, but they're both so horrible that it's very satisfying. Meg in particular gets [[spoiler: stabbed through the shower wall and has her spine carved up]].

* EnsembleDarkhorse: ''[[AlphaBitch Judy,]]'' one of the most iconic horror bitches of all time, and most of the audience loves her for it! So much that they made a short film spin-off.

* FridgeLogic: Theoretically, [[spoiler:it should be pretty easy to figure out which twin survived if one went to a cemetary.]]

* HarsherInHindsight: Real life would parallel the movie for Felissa Rose after it came out. She would have to change schools twice because of the bullying she received. She has however nothing but love for the film itself and its fans.
* HilariousInHindsight: [[spoiler: The UnsettlingGenderReveal as you discover Angela is actually Peter predates ''Film/TheCryingGame'' by nearly ten years]].
** This mixed with Irony, but [[spoiler: as a 13-year-old who's biologically a boy (and played by a drunk male college student), Angela/Peter is flat-chested. Creator/FelissaRose grew up to have natural large breasts.]]
* HoYay: The jocks. When the girls don't want to go skinny dipping they strip down to their underwear and go off on their own, and they like to pile on top of someone as a form of punishment. Plus all the tight shorts and t-shirts they wear, though that can partially be blamed on TheEighties. Even so, most of them love walking around shirtless with each other.

** The little kids who threw sand on Angela after Meg and Judy push her into the water [[spoiler:end up slaughtered in their sleep]]. For most viewers, the fact that they're very young children and too underdeveloped to warrant such a comeuppance makes TheReveal feel overkill. Even the director himself regretted it.
** Paul was not a bully like the other kids, seemed to like Angela and be genuinely sorry for kissing Judy. While he had obvious issues with respecting Angela's boundaries, [[spoiler:being lured into a trap and decapitated]] is a bit of a harsh fate for him.
* LGBTFanbase: Thanks to the twist ending, the film has actually proved quite popular with the transgender community; who have interpreted a positive message relating to gender dysphoria in how [[spoiler:Peter being forced to assume his sister's identity]]. The metric tonne of HoYay between all the males, lack of gratuitous female nudity and general {{Camp}} tone also attract a significant queer viewership.

* MoneyMakingShot: [[spoiler: Peter standing up, revealing all his [[{{Squick}} naked body]] to the viewer, holding a knife and hissing like an animal]]. That image will be forever burned into the darkest corners of your mind.

** Aunt Martha crossed it when she [[spoiler: forced Peter to pretend to be a girl]] just to fulfill her own desire to have a daughter.
** Arguably, Angela herself crossed it when she [[spoiler:[[DisproportionateRetribution killed the little kids who threw sand at her]].]] Even the director himself regretted that part.

** Doubles as NarmCharm but three words: "NOOT YOU, MEEEEEEEG." Mel's face only makes it more hilarious.
* NarmCharm: Pretty much the entire movie. When it isn't being incredibly gory, ''something'' over the top and ridiculous is happening.
* NightmareRetardant: The ending isn't as scary if you know [[spoiler:Angela's face is just a paper mask, worn by a guy who had to get shitfaced to do the scene]]. Though on the other hand it does help with the uncanny feeling of the whole thing. And the fact that the counsellors are more concerned with [[spoiler: Angela being a boy]] than the fact that she's holding [[spoiler: the severed head of Paul]].

* RootingForTheEmpire: With victims like these, it's not really that hard to find their deaths satisfying. The exceptions are the little kids who threw sand on Angela, and possibly [[spoiler:Paul]].

** The counsellors' casual attitude towards bullying is horrifying these days, but it was released back when bullying wasn't seen as destructive as it is these days. That said, this is largely for the bullying among the boys (which in general has always been seen as more "normal" than with girls), and when Angela is picked on the counsellors do take steps to stop it and make it clear it's unacceptable behaviour.
** Paul kissing Angela by surprise when he saw just how uncomfortable she was could be interpreted nowadays as a gross violation of her lack of consent. It's possible this is the IntendedAudienceReaction, since Paul then goes and makes out with Judy, and [[spoiler: Angela lures him to be killed in the end]].

* ValuesResonance: [[spoiler: On the other hand, the Reveal can also serve to demonstrate that gender identity is something that is chosen and should not be forced. Angela never chose to identify herself as a woman, but rather her adoptive aunt forced it upon her.]]
* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: Mel's death by bow and arrow to his neck. For a very long time, the director would not say how the effect was achieved. It's that good. Eventually, though, it ''was'' revealed that the back of his neck had an arrowhead spring loaded that popped up when the first part hit his throat. Careful observation shows that his neck does become much greyer in the shot, clearly indicating it was done with some kind of neck appliance.
* TheWoobie: Poor [[spoiler: Angela/Peter.]] Also a WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds.

** [[spoiler: Angela killing Paul. Did she reveal her true gender to him and kill him when he reacted with shock and surprise like the counsellors? She appears to set it up after she catches him kissing Judy, but she knows what an AlphaBitch Judy is - so was Paul killed for his repeated advances on her even after she kept saying no.]]

** Doubles as NarmCharm but three words "NOOT YOU MEEEEEEEG", Mels face only makes it more hilarious.

** Meg, a teenage counsellor (although her actress was nineteen, so she could be that age too) freely has a relationship with Mel her boss, who is over fifty at least. Not one person seems to find this unusual.

* AcceptableTargets: The killer's first victim is a pedophile chef, who at one point attempts to rape Angela when he sees how spaced out she is. [[KickTheSonOfABitch Try to even pretend you're sympathetic]].

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation:

** The little kids who threw sand on Angela after Meg and Judy push her into the water [[spoiler: end up slaughtered in their sleep]]. For most viewers, the fact that they're very young children and too underdeveloped to warrant such a comeuppance makes TheReveal feel overkill. Even the director himself regretted it.
** Paul was not a bully like the other kids, seemed to like Angela and be genuinely sorry for kissing Judy. While he had obvious issues with respecting Angela's boundaries, [[spoiler: being lured into a trap and decapitated]] is a bit of a harsh fate for him.
* LGBTFanbase: Thanks to the twist ending, the film has actually proved quite popular with the transgender community; who have interpreted a positive message relating to gender dysphoria in how [[spoiler: Peter being forced to assume his sister's identity]]. The metric tonne of HoYay between all the males, lack of gratuitous female nudity and general {{Camp}} tone also attract a significant queer viewership.

* RootingForTheEmpire: With victims like these, it's not really that hard to find their deaths satisfying. The exceptions are the little kids who threw sand on Angela, and possibly [[spoiler: Paul]].

* UnintentionallySympathetic: The director had this reaction to [[spoiler: the children who got killed for throwing sand on Angela]], feeling that was going a bit too far.

* RootingForTheEmpire: With victims like these, it's not really that hard to find their deaths satisfying.

** Paul kissing Angela by surprise when he saw just how uncomfortable she was could be interpreted nowadays as a gross violation of her lack of consent.

* IAmNotShazam: The name of the camp where the murders happen is ''not'' named "Sleepaway"; it's "Camp Arawak".

* MoralEventHorizon: Aunt Martha crossed it when she [[spoiler: forced Peter to pretend to be a girl]] just to fulfill her own desire to have a daughter.
** Arguably, Angela herself crossed it when she [[spoiler:[[DisproportionateRetribution killed the little kids who threw sand at her]].]]

* NightmareRetardant: The ending isn't as scary if you know [[spoiler:Angela's face is just a paper mask, worn by a guy who had to get shitfaced to do the scene]]. Though on the other hand it does help with the uncanny feeling of the whole thing.

* NightmareRetardant: The ending isn't as scary if you know [[spoiler:Angela's face is just a paper mask, worn by a guy who had to get shitfaced to do the scene]]. Though on the other hand it does help with the UncannyValley feeling of the whole thing.

* AccidentalAesop: "Personal identity is vital in childhood development and being forced to present yourself as something you don't identify with is damaging". In the entire movie, Angela was believed to be the surviving twin of a boating accident that killed her father and brother but she has an identity crisis after kissing Paul since it reminded her of her father and brother and the tragedy of losing them. However, the twist is that her brother, Peter, was actually the twin who survived the accident and his aunt forced him to take his better-received and deceased sister's identity because she didn't want another son. This caused gender identification issues for Peter and since his trauma was never validated, he eventually lost his mind and started killing people who tried to sexually assault him, virgin-shame him, and sexually harrass him. The twist also recontexualises the flashback where Peter and Angela see a post-coital moment between their father and Lenny, and a young Peter pointing at Angela's chest. Since Peter never had the accurate talk about sex and the relationship between Lenny and his father was never properly explained to him, he didn't know how to comprehend Paul's kiss and it left him deeply confused about who he was.

** It has since been revealed that the back of his neck had an arrowhead spring loaded that popped up when the first part hit his throat.

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: Mel's death by bow and arrow to his neck. To this day, the director will not say how the effect was achieved. It's that good. His neck does become much greyer in the shot, showing it was done with some kind of neck appliance.

* HeartwarmingMoments: Oddly enough, the moments where we see Ricky defend Angela. Ricky could have easily just ditched his cousin and spent all his time with his friends. Instead, he's protective to the point that messing with her is his BerserkButton. Even when Mel is accusing him of being behind the murders, Ricky's only concern is trying to stop Meg from throwing Angela into the water.