That actors dedicate themselves to directing is not something new in Hollywood. Some of the most legendary filmmakers in the business started out as actors like Clint Eastwood, Ron Howard and Sofia Coppola. In recent years, stars like Greta Gerwig, Bradley Cooper and Jordan Peele have transitioned to work behind the camera with great success. Stranger Things' Finn Wolfhard is the latest actor looking to show off his filmmaking chops with Hell of a Summer, a horror comedy that he co-directed and co-wrote with his best friend Billy Bryk. What's even more interesting is that Wolfhard and Bryk are still in their early 20s, compared to the likes of Michael B. Jordan, who had worked on screen for over two decades before directing this year's Creed III.
The duo's film is clearly inspired by summer camp slashers like Friday the 13th, Sleepaway Camp, and The Final Girls, and focuses primarily on Jason (Fred Hechinger), an optimistic 24-year-old who has been asked to return. to be a camp. counselor at his favorite summer camp, Camp Pineway, even though he is older than all the other counselors.
Directors: Billy Bryk, Finn Wolfhard
Writers: Billy Bryk, Finn Wolfhard
Stars: Finn Wolfhard, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Fred Hechinger
Her fellow counselors include horny duo Bobby and Chris (Bryk and Wolfhard), Demi the unattainable diva (Pardis Saremi), Claire the wallflower (Abby Quinn), Mike the jock (D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai), Ezra the actor (Matthew Finlan), Ari the hipster (Daniel Gravelle), Miley the staunch vegan (Julia Doyle), Noelle the goth girl (Julia Lalonde) and Chris's love interest, Shannon (Krista Nazaire), among others. Unfortunately, their days of drinking, flirting and partying are cut short when a masked killer gets loose in the woods and begins picking them off one by one.
Hell of A Summer may not have the most original premise, but Bryk and Wolfhard are fully aware of this and created one of the most entertaining and enjoyable slasher films of the 2020s. The youth of the cast and creative team ultimately ends up being a major benefit to the film, especially since the young adult cast actually speaks like people their own age. Yes, they like to be stupid and make stupid decisions, but they are also extremely relatable.
For those who don't already know, Hechinger is an extremely talented actor who has finally gotten the recognition he deserves after his role as Quinn, the rich, technology-obsessed teenager in The White Lotus, season 1. In Hell of a Summer plays a role that feels completely opposite to that. His Jason character is kind of a loser.
After all, how many 24-year-olds would be excited to be a summer camp counselor? The answer isn't much, especially if you ask some of Quinn's campmates. Still, he is the heart of this throwback slasher and Hechinger's performance transforms the character into someone beyond what he could have been just an irritating, irritating loner. He doesn't deserve to be chased by a killer wearing a demon mask (well, no one does, but the point still stands). Joining him is Quinn, who, after making a big impression earlier this year in M. Night Shyamalan's Knock at the Cabin, is another important part of the cast playing his long-time crush Claire. .
This strong cast aside, the film takes its time getting going after an excellent opening kill. This proves to be the perfect preview of what kind of movie Hell of a Summer is. The opening act feels like a take on the same generic teen sex comedy that was common in the '90s. Once the killing spree gets underway, the film picks up the pace. And while the plot twists are extremely predictable, that doesn't take away from its entertainment value.
As you might expect from a directorial debut, Hell of a Summer feels like a “first film.” It's clunky, often avoids showing some of the better kills, and has an extremely low-budget quality to it. The dim lighting during the nighttime sequences makes it difficult to tell what's going on during several key moments. Due to their young ages, Wolfhard and Bryk have plenty of time to grow as filmmakers, and producing their first film so early means they already have a head start. This doesn't stop his debut from wanting to play too safe at times with the gore one would expect from a film of this type that is surprisingly tame.
Humor also tends to be very unpredictable. While some of the film's ad-lib lines, including Hechinger's Quinn calling hot dogs "little ones," are very funny, other moments, like the bits about veganism and zodiac signs, are not so much.
Watch Hell of a Summer 2023 Movie Trailer
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