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.

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.

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.

First and foremost - this film is not to be compared to Stranger Things and / or It because it was never intended to be compared to those films.

Summer of '84 is a well constructed indie slow-burn film which draws on the neighborhood and suburban vibe which was only realized fully in this country during the 1980's. Harkening back to such classic films as The 'Burbs, Rear Window, When A Stranger Calls Back and other such '80s gems that hone in on the mentality of evil in our midst sight brought about by the Cold War and anti-communist rhetoric of 1950's McCarthyism.

Many of our younger readers will not remember a time when kids actually played outside at night in the neighborhood. Games we all loved such as Kick the Can or War or Flashlight Tag, games that parents secretly worried would expose us to that unknown evil... it is this mindset that Summer of '84 sets itself on.

Not your typical serial killer film, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. I will say I was surprised by the ending as I am cursed with determining the plot too early for most films - this one blindsided me and for that I thank the writers.

Haters of this film either 1) Don't understand that a horror movie doesn't have to be all in-your-face or 2) have no recollection of life during that period so don't see it as realistic. I was that age during the '80s and I vividly remember playing those games, being exposed to nudie mags, doing the neighborhood festivals, hearing about killers and half-wishing something happened in my area so I could play hero.

Well done production crew.