Jaylen Strong

Jaylen Strong’s performance in The Encampments (2025) isn’t something you just forget. The movie dives headfirst into this bizarre, kinda dystopian world where society’s pretty much chewed up and spat out anyone who doesn’t fit the mold. There’s this sprawling camp on the outskirts, almost its own city, where people make their own rules because, honestly, the real world has left them for dead. Strong’s character? He’s not your typical hero. More like, he’s just trying to get by, maybe find a little meaning in the mess, but you can tell he’s carrying around some heavy stuff from before all this chaos hit. The movie isn’t afraid to get its hands dirty. There are moments of raw, unfiltered grit—fights breaking out over scraps, families trying to stick together, and a constant tug-of-war between hope and despair. Strong brings this low-key intensity that makes you root for him even when he screws up. There’s this whole subplot about him connecting with a kid who’s lost everything, and it’s honestly gut-wrenching. The story keeps twisting, never really letting you settle in. One minute you’re laughing at some weird, offbeat joke, and the next you’re cringing because everything’s gone sideways. By the end, you’re left wondering if anyone can really escape the encampments, or if surviving means something totally different in this broken-down version of the world. It’s gritty, a little wild, and not the kind of movie that wraps things up with a neat little bow.