We Don’t Give Ricky Enough Credit For Being the Hero of Sleepaway Camp (1983)
Reader, it’s the weekend after my beloved Sidewalk Film Festival here in Birmingham. As I always do this time of year, I spent the weekend partying and networking and watching some excellent new films.
But I began this year’s festival with Sleepaway Camp, which is not a new film.* In fact, this film is older than I am, which means it’s pretty old. Also, this was my third time seeing Sleepaway Camp, which means I’m a real sicko.**
It may not seem like it on the surface, given that it’s mostly a Friday the 13th ripoff (until the point where it suddenly isn’t), but I think this film is pretty rewarding in its rewatchability. On my first viewing, I was thinking about who the killer might be and why they’re on a killing spree.*** On my second viewing, I was watching it through the killer’s eyes, trying to put myself in their point of view and understand their motivations, which made for a much more interesting experience.
But on my third viewing, I kept thinking about Ricky, the would-be protagonist of the film who gets totally overshadowed by the big reveal at the end. And I came to the conclusion that Ricky is great.
When we first meet Ricky, we instantly like him. We learn that he’s been to Camp Arawak before, but this year is different, because his younger cousin, Angela, is going with him for the first time. And since she’s almost clinically shy—she doesn’t even say a word for the first half of the movie—he is her de facto protector.
But unlike many coming-of-age dramas, Ricky doesn’t betray or abandon his cousin before coming around to appreciating her in the end. This young man is steadfast in his role as his cousin’s keeper! Anytime another camper makes fun of her or makes her feel uncomfortable, Ricky is on them like a guard dog, even to the point of threatening them when they don’t ease up.
These threats end up biting Ricky in the ass, too. As soon as campers and staffers start dying, the camp director is very quick to accuse Ricky of being the killer.**** He’s so mean to Ricky that it honestly borders on child abuse. And all with nothing more than circumstantial evidence. Shameful.
Here’s the thing I love about Ricky, though. You would think—given his obligation to look after and defend Angela and his burden of dealing with accusations of murder—that Ricky would be pretty dejected, or even ostracized by the other campers.
He’s not, though. He’s the coolest kid in the whole damn camp. He’s got tons of friends (one of whom has a crush on Angela, so there’s another thing he has to worry about), he’s well-liked by the counselors, he’s got a petty former flame that’s busy trying to make him jealous, and he excels at all the camp activities. He even delivers the sickest comeback diss I’ve ever heard in my life on the baseball diamond before leading his team to victory.
Having seen this film three times now, I really admire Ricky, and I think he doesn’t get the credit he deserves. Especially knowing that he’s, well, he’s gonna be talking to a therapist soon after what transpires in the big finale.
*Shouts out to Nick Campbell and Chayse Porter, the duo behind TVs of Terror, for bringing their madness to the Sidewalk Cinema. They’re screening Slugs at Saturn next week and that movie is super fun, so go check it out!
**Okay, listen. The first time was out of curiosity because I’d heard it’s a horror classic. (I didn’t like it very much the first time.) Then Joe Bob Briggs covered it during an early episode of The Last Drive-In, so I felt compelled to rewatch it. (I liked it a lot the second time.) And then I had the opportunity to see it at the Sidewalk Cinema? With a rowdy crowd? For free? I couldn’t say no. (I still like it a lot.)
***This could be why I didn’t like it very much the first time.
****The camp director does not, however, send the campers home at any point. Even though there is a mass murderer on the loose.
Sleepaway Camp is available on Peacock, Tubi, Pluto TV, and Freevee, and it is available to rent elsewhere.