Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Gripping docu examines teen wilderness camps; violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Hell Camp: Teen Nightmare
What's the Story?
HELL CAMP: TEEN NIGHTMARE tells the story of how, starting in the late 1980s, a man named Steve Cartisano started a "therapy camp" in the Utah desert. It was intended as a last-ditch effort to get through to teens who took risky behavior too far. People interviewed are now adults, but they tell stories of the abuse and dangerous conditions they were subject to, usually after being taken against their will from their own homes in the middle of the night. When a camper died after a long, hot hike, Cartisano was tried for negligent homicide. He was acquitted and continued to try to run various other therapy camps in the years that followed. These types of camps are still thriving and are a huge industry, but do they hurt kids more than they help them?
Is It Any Good?
This is a gripping but sometimes difficult-to-watch documentary that has a strong, clear point of view, but also asks a lot of good questions for families with teens to think about. Hell Camp: Teen Nightmare doesn't shy away from conveying that these camps have gone too far and are a bad idea to begin with. But they also leave room for discussion about important issues that make it worthwhile viewing, like corporal punishment, industry oversight, the high cost, whether it's a fair approach, and whether teens have any rights in this type of situation.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the filmmaker's point of view in documentaries like Hell Camp: Teen Nightmare. What expectations does the title create? Should documentaries be as neutral as possible, or is it OK for them to make a case for their point of view?
Is this a balanced documentary? How many different perspectives do we see? What kinds of questions does it raise?
Is it important to know details of hardship and abuse to be able to talk about it fairly? Do the survivor's stories seem gratuitous, or do they help us understand what happened? Why?
How do the teens show perseverance? Why is this an important character strength?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : December 27, 2023
- Director : Liza Williams
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : History
- Character Strengths : Perseverance
- Run time : 90 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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