As someone who’s always down for a good slasher and can’t resist a teen comedy, Hell of a Summer had my full attention the moment I saw the trailer. A group of young camp counselors trying to survive a masked killer while dealing with awkward social dynamics is basically all of my favorite genres and tropes in one. The fact that it’s co-written and directed by Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things) and Billy Bryk (Ghostbusters: Afterlife), two young talents stepping into horror, only added to the excitement for me.
I had a chance to see the movie in theaters this week, so I’m sharing my spoiler-free review below!
The Basics
The story centers on Jason Hochberg (Fred Hechinger), an older camp counselor who feels totally out of place among his much younger co-workers. He thinks his biggest challenge will be keeping up with TikTok references and staying relevant. What he doesn’t know is that someone in a creepy mask is stalking the camp, and one by one, counselors are getting picked off in increasingly brutal ways.
What Worked (and What Didn’t)
The summer camp setting instantly gives off Friday the 13th vibes, and I love a classic whodunit trope where everyone’s a suspect. There’s potential for scares, laughs, and surprises all in one, and the film definitely tries to deliver on all three fronts. The kills are fun and the practical effects look great, so it does deliver as expected in those areas. There’s also something exciting about seeing a horror film that doesn’t only rely on big names or massive budgets but still manages to feel polished.
That said, while Hell of a Summer sets up some interesting character dynamics and jokes early on, the humor mostly falls flat. The movie leans into satirical gen z humor, but doesn’t push hard enough, so the jokes didn’t work for me.
The slasher side of the film also left me wanting more. Yes, the kills were solid, but there’s not enough tension leading up to them. Instead of slowly building suspense or letting the fear settle in, the movie rushes through the action to move onto the next scene. As a result, the scares don’t really stick. Worse, we barely get to know some of the characters before they’re killed off, which makes it hard to care about their fates or get invested in who the killer might be. When the big reveal finally came, I wasn’t shocked or impressed since I had kinda guessed it already.
Another issue is the lack of world-building. For a movie set at a summer camp, I couldn’t tell you where this camp was, what it looked like, or what made it special. The setting never felt fully developed, which made the movie feel kind of hollow. There’s not a lot of atmosphere, and the locations never become characters of their own, the way they do in the best horror films. However, there are some cool shots in the movie that were pretty impressive.
Final Thoughts
Despite expecting more from this movie, I did enjoy what I got. It’s light and fun, and there’s something about the effort and creativity behind the film that I respect. Wolfhard and Bryk clearly care about the genre, and even though this movie didn’t wow me, I think it shows a lot of promise. The writing, pacing, and effects are actually better than what I’ve seen in some major studio horror releases lately, and if they continue making movies like this, I could see these two becoming major names in horror.
Hell of a Summer is the kind of movie I’d recommend if you’re a fan of indie or nostalgic horror. It’s not a game-changer, and it’s definitely not scary or funny enough to become a cult classic….but it has heart, and sometimes, that’s enough for a late-night horror watch.
It’s a fun concept that starts out strong, but sadly doesn’t stick the landing. Still, I’ll be keeping an eye out for whatever these young directors do next.
