Studio: Neon
Director: Billy Bryk, Finn Wolfhard
Writer: Billy Bryk, Finn Wolfhard
Producer: Michael Costigan, Jason Bateman, Finn Wolfhard, Billy Bryk, Jay Van Hoy, Fred Hechinger
Stars: Fred Hechinger, Abby Quinn, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Billy Bryk, Finn Wolfhard, Pardis Saremi, Rosebud Baker, Adam Pally
Review Score:
Summary:
A masked killer stalks summer camp counselors during a coming-of-age point in their young lives.
Review:
“Hell of a Summer” uses a summer camp to combine the two subgenres most often associated with that setting: a “masked maniac stalks coupling counselors” slasher and a coming-of-age teen dramedy. Closer in spirit to “Wet Hot American Summer” than to “Friday the 13th,” “Hell of a Summer” only carries a light load of horror and humor on each shoulder, making for a movie that’s sincere about giving its good guy lead his much-needed moment of maturity, yet too thin on substance to make a mark in either category of carnage or comedy.
After an opening stinger where Camp Pineway’s two proprietors get a guitar neck and a knife blade thrust through their skulls, there isn’t a fright to be found in the film’s first third. The opening 25 minutes or so are exclusively spent getting to know a variety pack of standard stereotypes, who combine for an unlikely grouping of camp counselors only ever seen in filmed fiction rather than real life.
Up first is Jason, a 24-year-old whose heart of gold holds him back from giving up his annual summer camp gig for more age-appropriate pursuits. Arriving with a trunk full of designer luggage, pretty priss Demi fills the required role of Instagram wannabe hotly pursuing online celebrity status. Practically flashing “Final Girl” across her flannel, girl-next-door Claire plays the part of Jason’s object of affection. Goth girl Noelle either has her hands on an Ouija board or her nose in a new age book. Health-conscious Miley can’t believe the insulting indignity of a menu without vegan options. Unsurprisingly, overly dramatic Ezra aspires to be an actor while Ari wants to be a screenwriter. There are a few more names to be mentioned, though the rest of the crew can essentially be summarized by extending two fingers and rolling them forward in repeated circles.
With prolonged introductions out of the way, “Hell of a Summer” finally pulls its plot out of first gear when one of the counselors gets axed, literally. The butchered body’s discovery soon puts everyone in a panic. Then all it takes is one accusatory finger to point at Jason as the primary suspect and hullaballoo goes into motion as people pair up, split up, and occasionally get hacked up as they try to survive the night.
“Hell of a Summer” has a hell of a time drumming up interest in its tame whodunit. Even though 33% of the runtime gets spent establishing everyone’s personalities, their clichéd crushes, average aspirations, and routine antics don’t have unique appeal to inspire much investment in the killer’s identity or motive. While passively watching the mystery man, disguised in a dull devil costume, drop a body every now and again, a thought might cross your mind about how many better slashers you’ve seen with cleverer characters, more creative kills, and fun twists turning up the heat with a genuine surprise or two. With this film already feeling deflated from following formula, the murderer’s mask then comes off about two-thirds of the way through, leaving the last 33% on the clock to become a pretty predictable jog to a familiar finish line.
On the comedy side of the coin, it’s not that the few and far between jokes are unfunny. It’s that they don’t try hard to be razor sharp with wit. The script sprinkles in some slight satire about contemporary gender norms once or twice. There’s also a weirdly dated reference about revealing spoilers for “Game of Thrones,” a show that aired its final episode in 2019. Mostly, the movie tries to poke fun at Jason as he embarks on his arc of self-discovery, but even that aspect only makes a superficial scratch on the surface of themes that don’t have room to run particularly deep to begin with.
“Whatever, it’s fine” doesn’t sound like a ringing endorsement, yet that’s approximately where “Hell of a Summer” lands in ultimate entertainment value. Several actors are endearing, even if the plain characters they play are underdeveloped. There isn’t much meat to the mystery or to the murders either, at least not enough for flavor you can savor. That’s “Hell of a Summer” in a nutshell. The vanilla taste might tickle your tongue for a moment or two. Just don’t expect any sensation to linger once end credits are over.
Review Score: 55
“Whatever, it’s fine” doesn’t sound like a ringing endorsement, yet that’s approximately where “Hell of a Summer” lands in ultimate entertainment value.