Early on in my viewing of “Hell of a Summer” I took a note that read: This is as if Woody Allen made a slasher.
As the film went on, I realized that summation wasn’t quite right, but it wasn’t totally off. The film is definitely in the comedy/horror space, and the comedy is mostly driven by awkward interactions between neurotic people—certainly Allen’s forte. But the humor didn’t have the sophistication of classic Allen films. (Though that’s not quite right either—Allen tended to mix highbrow philosophical humor with low brow sight gags and physical comedy, like when his character sneezes away a pile of expensive cocaine in “Annie Hall”.)
What “Hell of a Summer” is is yet another slasher set at a campground, where various young adults flirt in between getting killed. Myself, I’m just a little burnt out of the whole campground setting for horror movies. I respect the greats—The “Friday the 13th” films and “Sleepaway Camp”—but if I never have to see blood spatter against wood siding again, I’ll be fine with it.
The movie was written and directed by Finn Wolfhard of “Stranger Things” fame and a lesser known actor named Billy Bryk. I will say, the movie does not have that amateur vibe a lot of low-budget films do. The pacing sails and there are no dead spots. (Well, except for the kill scenes… hawhawhawhawhaw!)
But somehow, nothing really stands out here. The plot paints by numbers. The jokes generate chuckles more than guffaws. The killer’s reveal just doesn’t make a lot of sense. (That seems to be a hallmark of modern horror.)
The acting is fine. Wolfhard and Bryk play some subtle comedy chops. Fred Hechinger as a too earnest camp counselor is a standout, and I liked Abby Quinn.
Yet, the whole thing fell flat.
