The Miseducation of Cameron PostDirector: Desiree AkhavanStars: Chloë Grace Moretz, Sasha Lane, Forrest Goodluck, Jennifer Ehle and John Gallagher Jr.Screening: In Melbourne over the next week. Rating: ★★★½

By TESS JOHNSON 

Comparing homosexuality to cannibalism doesn’t seem like a joke that would land well with the modern Melburnian, but The Miseducation of Cameron Post handles it well.

Cam Post tells the story of its namesake when she’s caught in a compromising position with another teenage girl and shipped off to a conversion therapy camp to "pray the gay away" by mending her relationship with God.

Instead, Post is thrown into a mess of conflicting characters who make her question who she wants to be and be with.

The film is enjoyable, but it failed to convince its audience to riot outside their MP’s office until conversion camps are illegal.

Between this release and Boy Erased in November, the issue of conversion therapy has been raised to prominence in film – considering the practice is legal in Australia and 41 US states.

While the nostalgic '90s fashion and warm colour palette of the film set a definitive tone similar to other indie coming-of-age flicks, the choice to set the movie in the past seriously detracts from the  issue.

The film is based on the 2012 book of the same name by Emily M Danforth, who grew up in the '90s in Montana where the book and film are set.

Despite being set in the past, the story is still scarily relevant today. It’s 2018 but 57,000 LGBTI minors will undergo conversion treatments in the US despite gay marriage being legalised.

Director Desiree Akhavan creates an easy, comedic pace while the minimal script builds  towards a gut-wrenching release of emotional tension towards the end.

While it succeeds as an emotionally powerful and entertaining film, it preaches to the converted.

The almost-non-existent score and strategic use of silence enhance dramatic scenes, while clever cinematography communicates the claustrophobia of forced therapy sessions.

With the support of a woefully under-utilised Sasha Lane (Jane) and charismatic performance from Forrest Goodluck (Adam), Moretz’s standout awkwardness lends itself beautifully to this comedic role.

Cam Post walks the fine line of macabre and satirical humour expertly and will appeal to audiences who prefer a character-centric over a plot-driven film.

This film won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.