For many people, some of their most cherished childhood memories occurred during their time at a summer camp, an experience shared by the cast of “Hell of a Summer,” whose time at camp takes a twist they will never forget.
Billy Bryk and Finn Wolfhard’s feature-length directorial debut, “Hell of a Summer,” premiered on Sept 10, 2023, at the Toronto International Film Festival. However, the film would not be released publicly in theatres for almost two years, finally making its public release this year on Apr 4.
“Hell of a Summer” is a horror film that follows a group of camp counselors at Camp Pineway that is being tormented by a mysterious murderer who is picking off the counselors one by one. The film mixes themes and qualities from horror, humor, and classic coming-of-age stories to create a funny, relatable, and terrifying experience for the viewer.
The setting, being a summer camp, harkens back to cliches of many classic horrors, comedies, and coming-of-age films that use the setting as a way to symbolize themes of growth, childhood memories, or just for a fun set with lots of hijinks to ensue. The film manages to utilize these cliches without seeming predictable and boring.
The goofy cast of characters that the viewer loves to hate is truly what makes this film what it is. The cast is full of deeply foolish and flawed young people who, like many young people, are just trying to figure out who they are and their place in the world and, of course, have fun doing it. Aside from the opening scenes, the cast is confined to only the camp counselors, which causes the audience to get to know each character better, making each of them far more memorable and the film feel far more personal.
Characters like Jason, who is a man just trying to hold on to his childhood, Ari, whose peanut allergy is his entire personality, and Demi, who wants nothing more than fame and fortune, are what make the film as enjoyable as it is. While many of these characters may be shallow at times, this helps show their immaturity and how much they still have to grow.
The character’s silliness leads to the melding of humor and horror perfectly, with kills perfectly crafted around the victim’s traits that never fail to make the audience laugh, while the use of practical effects makes them squeamish at the same time.
The film manages to use the mysterious identity of the killer perfectly by making it obvious at some points who it is, yet also making it a large twist within the plot. The characters remain oblivious to the killer’s true identity until the end of the film. They start accusing each other of being the killer throughout, and by the end of the second act, they think they have discovered who the killer is, but they could not be more wrong.
The film intentionally places disturbing visuals and changes the tone around scenes with certain characters to make the audience’s theory of who the killer is constantly evolving throughout the first and second acts of the film.
While some may have an issue with the killer’s shallow motivation, it fits their character perfectly when taking the killer’s true identity into account.
The film clocks in at 1 hour and 28 minutes, which is relatively short in comparison to most films. Many films with shorter runtimes face pacing issues, where plot points could feel rushed, but this film manages to linger on all the right plot points for the proper length so that nothing feels rushed, yet nothing lingers too long.
“Hell of a Summer” is the feature-length directorial debut of Billy Bryk and Finn Wolfhard, but watching the film, you would never believe such young and inexperienced filmmakers made it. Many shots are so mesmerizing and beautiful and have a far more unique visual style than films made by people and studios who have been making films for decades. With more experience as directors, this duo will be making even more fantastic films one day.
“Hell of a Summer” is a fresh, clever, and wildly entertaining entry into the horror-comedy genre that pays homage to the classic summer camp films of the past while carving out its unique voice. With a tight runtime, hilarious yet flawed characters, and visually unique directorial style, Billy Bryk and Finn Wolfhard deliver a creatively bold yet instantly classic film. The film succeeds in being both funny and satisfyingly spooky, with a heartfelt, emotional plot mixed in. It’s a film that captures the chaos of youth, the nostalgia of summer camp, and the thrill of a good scare all wrapped into one bloody, humorous package. If “Hell of a Summer” indicates what Bryk, Wolfhard, and other young filmmakers are capable of, then the future of filmmaking is in fascinating hands.
