Final Summer

This first film by John Isberg, is a good start but had conflictions in providing innovation or something fresh with 80s college teen slasher movies.

Considering its limitations of the story, it offers good night scenes, that are watchable which can be technically difficult to film. The actors deliver evotive reactions to the terror uleashed to them.

PTSD is a theme carried throughout the film, providing and giving some good dialogue. Its "final girl" trope is not strong, but her acting is good. Its chase scenes has suspense, but it lacks the tension provided with 80s slasher.

One interesting aspect that it was shot in rural Illinois's woods, has strong natural landscape locations. It one makes for a good start for Isberg, there is an interesting closing credits, hopefully to make more horror genre paths for this first directorial debut!

Final Summer looks and acts like an homage, this is clearly from the poster, plot, cast and soundtrack. If specifically to Friday, I couldn't really say, because one of the cheapest horror genre is campers the woods type.

So we have Friday, but also The Burning, Sleepaway Camp, Final Girls and so on, movies that act in a specific way, one that isn't replicated here. You see, nothing worked for Final Summer and you really can't blame it on the budget.

After movies like Blairwitch or Evil Dead, this kind of horror doesn't require a big budget, but inspiration and dedication.

The dialogue here is bad, the characters stereotypical and annoying, acting is quite sub par, killshots barely visible, no gore, no nudity, one very sad excuse for a twist and the absolute worst killer I've seen, being taken down many times by the others. Just, never finished. There is some sort of fighting choreography that looks silly and fake at the same type.

So yes, you can indeed notice the fact that the people involved in Final Summer really did their best, they had their heart in the right place, but even for a starter project, this fell flat. No impact.

Thus not recommandable, do skip it and try something else. Plenty of fish out there, leave this one be.

Cheers!

I know camp counselors in horror movies are supposed to be down right stupid, but this one goes to extremes. I would give a zero in intelligence to these characters and the person who wrote the story. Let me add, most are such cowards that pity for the next victim. Plenty of chances to help each other, heck, but why bother, it doesn't occur to any there is strengh in numbers. Then there is a thing called closing doors, a concept too advanced for these brainless people. You would think that some would have at some time in the past watched a summer camp horror movie. Super predictable ending. What a waste of time.

I know this was not easy to film so I will give it some credit...but it is definitely in my least favorite horror movies.

The Kills were horrible, barely showed them. Almost all of them were off screen.

I don't understand the random tree shots, they were there for no reason.

The acting... dont even get me started... There was barely any character development, and the acting was horrible.. def trying a little too hard.

And now the killer... He was literally Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees inbred little cousin...

My opinion doesnt run the world so yall do ya thing but...idk this is just my opinion.

I would be interested to see what they could have pulled off with a bigger budget and a more seasoned director and cast. Not a terrible movie by any means, but as I said before, it just falls a little flat. The kills aren't particularly good, nor was there anything original. The story was very straight forward and basic until towards the end when there was a predictable "twist." Acting was not very good (not that I'm looking for Oscar caliber performances) I feel they could have done better. A movie like this could have been fine without much originality, but for me it failed to capture the atmosphere of an 80's or early 90's slasher.