Hell of a Summer

I acknowledge that this movie isn't going to be for everyone. Some may find the very Gen Z characters, humour, and "style" of the film somewhat grating (quick editing, a very self aware smart you-know-what vibe). The pacing does feel a *tad* off, with a lot of time spent on the characters (which I do ultimately believes is the film's best aspect, but more on that later). There are awkward shots here and there I think the actual camp where this film takes place could've been shown a bit more, at times, the cinematography feels a bit too restrictive and small.

That all is to say though, this movie otherwise rocks. Hell of a Summer is probably the best slasher I've seen in years, because it focuses on something most films in this ilk forget about: the characters. The best thing about slashers is seeing how interesting, funny, sometimes awful, people react to a terrifying, but utterly believable situation. This film nails that aspect, giving us a hilarious ensemble, well-written ensemble cast and tight script to maximize the setting and premise.

I feel like everyone here was absolutely amazing for their roles; Finn Wolfhard and Billy Byrk have incredible natural chemistry and comic timing, but they aren't really the stars of the show here (well, not entirely). Fred Hechinger's leading man Jason (reference intended) is perfect for the role, same with Abby Quinn as Claire. They both just "understood the assignment" as the kids say. Everyone did, really. I can't gush enough about how awesome this cast and the writing for these characters were. This is one of the few horror movies I can say generally portray humanity in a mostly positive way and has a lot of heart and warmth.

It's a nice change from what we usually expect from these movies and honestly, I loved it. I think back to Scream VI (sorry, still not over it) and how cynical, stupid, and lazy that film was and it makes me appreciate Hell of a Summer even more. This is a slasher with a purpose. I really hope it can be seen by as many people as possible, because I can totally see this being a cult classic.

With newer horror movies we can expect them to be more graphic but this movie really disappointed in this sense. I liked the story but the kills were pretty boring. After watching the trailer I thought it was going to be similar to the video game The Quarry, with it being at a summer camp and the scenery is very similar. This got me excited to watch it. Pretty sure I'm the only one that thought this, because I didn't see it on any other reviews. Sometimes it tried too hard to be funny but most comedy/horrors do, but this wasn't as corny as some of the other movies are. Overall, it's a solid 6 due to the lack of gore and excitement.

This a Gen Z film and cast try to retry the Camno Horror genre with flat results. Finnland as a director set to create an original retake, was just another imitation.

It features a young cast, but most of characters didn't deliver the humor, that film critics claimed that the film had. Gore effects are minimal with most of killing off screen.

As an independent film, it feels very weak, could have really challenge the genre's tropes. Some critics has compared it's story to Scream and Sleep away Camp franchises.

Other claimed that the characterization hasa modern twist on 80s era antics, I didn't see them.

This movie was sooo bad...the jokes were fIat. The story was bad/cheap...there were no onscreen kiIIs or gore...yes there was no gore or kiIIs...all offscreen with a couple or aftermaths and one onscreen kiII...easily could be PG without the cursing...the two best scenes are in the trailer...you are better off watching All five sleepaway camp movies...yes even the last two horrible sleepaway camp films made...also the kiIIer outfit is so bad...its like devil mask from Scream Queens...VERY BASIC....if you were expecting friday the 13th, the burning or sleepaway camp throwback...you will be sad...this was a comedy that should be on HULU...I saw Scream boat and even that awful super B movie was more entertaining than this...This movie simply does nothing at all except tell fIat jokes...out of the 100 jokes they told in this movie, onIy about 5 of them landed.

As one of my most anticipated films of the year, it's genuinely disappointing to be let down by Hell of a Summer. While the movie does a solid job of paying homage to iconic camp slashers like Friday the 13th, Sleepaway Camp, and The Burning, it ultimately doesn't offer much beyond the nostalgia factor. The humor feels relatively mild, and while that could be forgivable if the film leaned more heavily into its horror elements, it doesn't quite succeed in that regard either. Despite a few moments of tension, there's a striking lack of satisfying kills. In fact, out of the entire film, I counted only one on-screen death, which was a missed opportunity for a more engaging horror experience.

That said, Hell of a Summer still has its bright spots. Finn Wolfhard stands out as the film's highlight-marking the first time I can say he's truly been my favorite part of a movie. Though his comedic timing isn't always perfect, his style of humor, which resembles comedian Daniel Avidan (aka Danny Sexbang of Ninja Sex Party and Game Grumps), works well. Wolfhard's dynamic both on and off-screen with Avidan is noticeable and adds an interesting layer to his performance.

In the end, Hell of a Summer is a letdown, but it's not without its redeeming qualities. I've certainly seen worse movies, and I'm willing to give the two first-time directors a second chance, hoping they'll take what they've learned from this project to improve their future work.