Summer hellThe adolescent comedy directed by Billy Bryk and Foreign things Star Finn Wolfhard, should be presented in streaming next month. The horror function will be added to Hulu Film library on August 29 alongside other horror titles like The monkey,, Emily Rose’s exorcism2013 BadAnd Thanksgiving.
In 2023, the film made an impression after having presented the Toronto International Film Festival, and a year later, the independent film studio acquired it for its possible release. After a brief theatrical race and according to the usual contracts of Neon, the film has now found a path in the streaming universe. The reception has been mixed, and today, it is 52% on the score of criticisms at Rotten Tomatoes, the audience score recording a slightly higher note by 53%.
The horror comedy follows a group of camp advisers who one day arrive before the official opening of the camp for the summer. According to the tropes of the sub-genre, the owners are viciously killed by a masked assassin, and the new arrivals are completely unconscious of the presence of the mysterious figure. Jason, one of the advisers, leads the group as they try to understand why the masked killer kills them one by one. The rotten synopsis The tomatoes read as follows:
Hell of a Summer follows the 24 -year -old camp advisor, Jason Hochberg (Fred Hechinger), who arrives at the Pineway camp thinking that his biggest problem is that he feels out of contact with his adolescent colleagues. What he does not know is that a masked killer hides on camping grounds, brutally picking up advisers one by one.
Go to the Z generation with a new comedy tone
Summer hell is far from being a perfect film, but it is impossible not to recognize the intentions of Bryk and Wolfhard. Their creative pursuit is perhaps much more important than the final product. Bryk and Wolfhard did not grow in the 80s, and they are not the target audience of each horror slasher motivated by nostalgia. However, they managed to capture the essence of the films they wanted to pay tribute. And more importantly, they entered the risky territory of horror comedies. Their film is not a triumph, but it is an admirable feat in terms of connection of two worlds that separate far. The generational gap is filled by the refreshing tone of the film and how he looks at his influences.
But again, Summer hell is a film directed by modern filmmakers for the modern public. It is just based on a recognizable framework that horror fans of the 80s will feel instantly familiar. The end makes winks to the obsession of generation Z for Likes, sharing and popularity, and this is where it can be more conflictual than its predecessors. In any case, it is great to see that some of the Tropes of the Golden Age of Slasher films can still inspire young filmmakers to tell their own stories under these narrative frameworks. Summer hell Perhaps an silly film, but it’s funny enough to collect horror fans, even if they are age separated from age.
