Summer of 84

Yes, it resembles the first season of Stranger Things. Yes, it echoes Disturbia. I suppose it even tangentially recalls the remake of It if you've never watched real 70s/ 80s horror. Still, this film has its own take on the eighties and kid-centered horror. I liked it more than Disturbia (which was too slick) and more than the remake of It (which was too CGI action-oriented to be scary). Even though the story of Summer of 84 is not at all supernatural, the film recalls Phantasm (1979) in the way that its mood blends easy going playfulness with eerie suspense and horror. The cast is good, the writing is strong, the cinematography is spot on, the editing is tight, and the score is lush in its own synthesized way. Summerof 84 may be more creepy than horrific, but in that vein, it succeeds!

When I stumbled upon this 2017 movie titled "Summer of 84", I had never actually heard about it. But the movie's cover and its synopsis seemed interesting. Plus, the fact that it was a horror movie that I hadn't already seen definitely helped convince me to sit down and watch it.

Initially I was lead to believe that this was a horror movie, but it turns out that it was a mystery thriller. But as it played out, writers Matt Leslie and Stephen J. Smith put together a rather enjoyable script and a nicely written mystery thriller. It was a storyline that grabs the audience right from the very beginning and takes the audience along on a genuinely entertaining story.

I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in "Summer of 84". It should be noted that the cast ensemble in the movie was quite good and talented. The acting performances were good, and the actors and actresses portrayed their characters nicely and brought both the storyline and the characters to life on the screen in a rewarding way. I was especially impressed with actor Rich Sommer's performance of Wayne Mackey. The character gallery and dialogue in the movie was really well-written.

The movie definitely looked and felt like it was set in the mid-1980s, there was a lot of nice touches and attention to detail throughout the course of the movie. And I have to say that this visual presentation of the movie really set the stage quite nicely, and added so much to the movie.

"Summer of 84" turned out to be quite an enjoyable movie, and it was a nice surprise of a movie. I was genuinely and thoroughly entertained throughout the course of the 105 minutes that the movie ran for. And it is a movie that I warmly recommend, especially if you enjoy a compelling mystery thriller with a good story and good characters.

This is a good old fashioned mystery thriller, and is well-worth watching.

My rating of "Summer of 84" lands on a seven out of ten stars.

So, a lot of people are comparing this movie to Stranger Things, but they are wrong in almost every regard. While Stranger Thing is a sci-fi adventure rooted in fantasy and unrealistic fiction, this film is as realistic as any news story. It seems like the comparisons come from the 80's soundtrack and the fact that it was 4 young boys on an adventure, but that's where the similarities end. This movie is more along the lines of films like The Goonies or Stand by Me; movies about young men who are taught harsh things about life at an early and fragile age. While Stranger Things was for children, this movie is clearly aimed at a much more mature and discerning audience.

The first two act of this film are pretty straight forward and standard; 4 young and immature boys suspect their neighbor of being a serial killer. They break into his house, dig up his garden, ect. in order to find proof of his horrifying acts. But nothing really comes of it, at least nothing concrete. The movie is funny, suspenseful and entertaining, and it reminds you of the kids mysteries that were all the rage in the late 80's.

Then, in the final act, the film suddenly makes an 180 and it becomes a serious film with real horror, real stakes and real consequences. Just like real life, the story doesn't end just because you hope it does. Good people are often the victims of their good intentions, and this movie proves it.

While the first half of the movie is just an enjoyable coming of age film, the second half is what really sets this movie apart. It's endings like these that make a movie really shine, and separates the audience that always wants a happy ending versus the ones that want a better, more realistic one.

Stop judging this movie based on a trailer. It's wrong and idiotic. A movie should be judged on its entire running time, and this movie deserves nothing but the highest praise. Everyone involved should be proud of their work. Amazing.

In this film a teenager starts to suspect that his next door neighbor, who just happens to be a cop, is a serial killer hiding behind a facade of normalcy found in the suburbs. With the help of his buddies, they begin to surveil the man.

I ended up really enjoying this. Creepy neighbors are always good material for a thriller. No one wants weirdos living next to them. While this is meant to be a thriller, let me just say that I was really feeling a bit of "The Burb's" (1989) from time to time with this film. I read a review that stated that this was like "Disturbia" (2007) and I can see that. Just mix a bit of goofy from "The Burb's" and some of the suspense from "Disturbia" and you'll find this movie.

So glad I took a chance and checked it out.

Wow. What a wild ride. Twists and turns had me guessing what was going on. And that's awesome. The kid actors were great. Engaging and they all had a super energy.

It was a little gratuitous with the swearing and crude talk in my opinion which distracted me from the plot/story.

The 80s references were spot on and my favorite part of the living being from that time, so big win there. It took me back to being a kid, riding around on my bike and just hanging with my friends. Only these guys fall into a much deeper scenario than I ever did. YIKES.

Great movie to watch on a lazy Saturday afternoon for sure.