jzuck

Just stumbled across this indie take on the Home Alone genre, when looking for a movie for my nieces. You don't see a lot of movies, made to showcase the skills of girls, rather than their looks. Stinky Summer strikes a terrific balance and was surprisingly fun. If you grew up with the movies of John Hughes, this will feel nostalgic. Writer Jenna St. John and director Amanda Raymond John mirror the seriousness with which he treated his young characters. It's an ambitious project for being so clearly low budget, with a diverse cast and a cute skunk! The young lead on point and sharp as a tack. Highly recommend!

So, thus is an indie film and while I like to support indie films, you still have to compare the experience to a studio film, for the rating system to make sense. So often, indie films have a great story but are stretched too thin on visuals. Pungo has some great VFX and genuine jump scares! There are times when the lighting and camera work reveal the indie roots but they don't bounce you out of the narrative. Good show!