Hell of a Summer
- Ben Pivoz
- Apr 4
- 3 min read
Hell of a Summer is a bit of a throwback. It is a cross between a summer camp comedy about a group of kids in their late teens/early twenties and a slasher movie where they get picked off one-by-one courtesy of a masked killer. Those two genres fit together naturally enough in a story that very much feels like it could’ve been made in the 80s (swap out the pop culture references, subtract the technology and add in gratuitous female nudity).
It has a silly laidback charm, with goofy humor, amusing stereotypes and a “let’s just have some fun” vibe. The comedic aspect works much better than the horror one. Thankfully, the screenplay spends far more energy on the former than it does on the latter. It is relatively light on blood and not scary at all. It is funny, though, and generally pleasant to watch.
Jason is returning to his beloved Camp Pineway for the eighth year in a row. Some think 24 is a little old to be a counselor, but he was personally invited back by the owners, who are mysteriously missing. Upon arriving, he is greeted with either mockery or total indifference by the other counselors, who just want to drink, do drugs and hook up. When they start turning up dead, it is up to Jason to hold things together.
Hell of a Summer (84 minutes, without the end credits) was cowritten/codirected by Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk, who also show up as two of the potential victims. The direction isn’t great, yet there is something about the messiness that works. The editing is awkward, the pacing uneven and the tonal shifts a tad more jarring than they should be. Somehow, those possible issues add to the fun.
There is an amateurish quality to it that gives the feel of a couple of guys messing around with movies they love and filming whatever they came up with. While it isn’t high-level filmmaking by any means, that wasn’t actually necessary here. It is a genuinely funny indie comedy, with several (admittedly kind of lame) murders thrown in.
The cast is definitely game for the low-key Meatballs meets Friday the 13th tone. Fred Hechinger is Jason, the nice, lonely, guy who comes every summer because he was made to feel like he belongs there. He wants the other counselors to feel about him the way he feels about the owners. The only person who really acknowledges him is Claire, played by Abby Quinn as a sweet young woman who seems to appreciate Jason’s earnestness. The character is sadly underdeveloped, but they have decent chemistry together.
The rest are all types (goth girl, vegan, influencer, theater kid, etc.). The only ones who truly stand out are Chris and Bobby, played by Wolfhard and Bryk, respectively. They are both there looking for some nice summer loving. Chris instantly hits it off with Shannon. His best friend, Bobby, is transparently desperate and turns everyone off with his irritating whining. Chris is basically the same character Wolfhard tends to play. He is good at it. Bobby is the best part of the ensemble and has the funniest payoff to his story.
As a horror movie, Hell of a Summer will be a disappointment. The kills are tame, there is no suspense and the reveal is extremely obvious. The good news is the story barely relies on any of those things. It is about 85% coming-of-age summer camp comedy, 15% slasher. It probably won’t stick with most viewers for real long afterward. However, it is fun while it lasts. It may be minor, but it is minor in an appealing way.
3½ out of 5
Cast:
Fred Hechinger as Jason
Finn Wolfhard as Chris
Billy Bryk as Bobby
Abby Quinn as Claire
Krista Nazaire as Shannon
Daniel Gravelle as Ari
Juli Lalonde as Noelle
Written/Directed by Billy Bryk and Finn Wolfhard
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