Movie Review: Hell of a Summer

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, successfully mixing comedy and horror is hard. Get the balance just right and the humor can help to break up the tension while also keeping the audience off guard for sudden shocks but do it wrong and you wind up with dud jokes, ineffective scares, or both. Marking their first feature film behind the camera, young actors Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk don’t quite pull it off, but the movie should still have a lot of appeal for the Gen Z audience it’s aiming for.

Despite claiming that last year would be his last as a counselor, Jason (Fred Hechinger), returns to Camp Pineway one more time. Despite his mother’s urging him to finally grow up and get a “real” job, he is still clinging to his youth and the idealized image of the camp he holds in his head. Shortly after arrival he notices his bosses are missing and discovers a note that he takes to mean he is in charge while they’re gone, so he takes it upon himself to begin planning activities for the other arriving counselors.

The day seems to mostly go well, as the 11 attractive young people now in his stead get reacquainted with each other and have fun around the camp. All the while though, it is hinted that someone is observing from the trees. When they begin getting bumped off the survivors try to flee, only to find their cars disabled and their phones stolen, leaving them trapped miles away from civilization with at least one killer.

While it is clear that Wolfhard and Bryk have a great deal of affection for classics of the genre, they prove surprisingly inept at generating suspense or thrills. The kills happen almost completely offscreen and even the after the fact shots of the violence are often very brief. Where they are more successful however is with the comedy. Lovingly lampooning the stereotypical behaviors of their own generation, this feels like one of the most accurate depictions of that group captured on film to date and I wouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t wind up being a cultural touchstone for some zoomers as a result.

The casting is perfect as well. Each of the counselors stand out in their own way, even if the writing and directing duo gave themselves the two best parts, and they all naturally gel together as a group. The actors probably had a blast filming this and that energy shows up on screen, lending the movie an infectious sense of fun and instilling some summer camp nostalgia in anyone who’s ever spent time in one.

Overall, Bryk and Wolfhard impress with their first film. Should it have been scarier? Yes. Does the comedy land as well for those of us who aren’t in Gen Z? No, though it should still earn at least a few chuckles regardless of age. And if you do happen to be in the target demographic you’ll certainly get a lot more from the knowing ribbing you and your peers receive. Hell of a Summer may not be a hell of a ride, but with its loving throwback vibes (helped greatly by Jay McCarrol’s retro score) and the cast’s natural camaraderie it readily entertains. ★★★