''Hell of a Summer'' is a 2023

comedy-horror Comedy horror, also known as horror comedy, is a literary, television, and film genre that combines elements of comedy and horror fiction. Comedy horror has been described as able to be categorized under three types: "black comedy, parody and spo ...

film written and directed by Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk (in his directorial debut). It stars

Fred Hechinger Fred Hechinger (born ) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Trevor in the coming-of-age film ''Eighth Grade'', John Calley in the Western drama ''News of the World'', and Ethan Russell in the psychological thriller '' The Woman in ...

, Abby Quinn, Bryk, Wolfhard, Pardis Saremi and

D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai D'Pharaoh Miskwaatez McKay Woon-A-Tai (born 19 September 2001) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his role as Bear Smallhill in the FX on Hulu comedy-drama series ''Reservation Dogs'' (2021), for which he was nominated for a Critics' Choic ...

. It premiered at the

2023 Toronto International Film Festival The 48th annual Toronto International Film Festival was held from September 7 to 17, 2023.Victoria Ahearn"TIFF reveals new programmers and other 2023 festival details" '' Playback'', April 20, 2023. The most noted change from past years was tha ...

on September 10, 2023, and is set to be released by

Neon Neon is a chemical element with the symbol Ne and atomic number 10. It is a noble gas. Neon is a colorless, odorless, inert monatomic gas under standard conditions, with about two-thirds the density of air. It was discovered (along with krypton ...

in 2025.

Premise

As the counselors are getting Camp Pineway ready the night before the campers arrive, a masked killer begins killing the staff.

Cast

as Jason * Abby Quinn as Claire * Billy Bryk as Bobby * Finn Wolfhard as Chris * Pardis Saremi as Demi *

as Mike * Krista Nazaire as Shannon * Matthew Finlan as Ezra * Julia Lalonde as Noelle * Daniel Gravelle as Ari * Julia Doyle as Miley *

Susan Coyne Susan Coyne (born 16 June 1958) is a Canadian writer and actress, best known as one of the co-creators and co-stars of the award-winning ''Slings & Arrows'', a TV series which ran 2003–06 about a Canadian Shakespearean theatre company. She ...

Rosebud Baker Rosemary Baker, known professionally as Rosebud Baker, (born March 16, 1985) is an American comedian, actress, and writer. Based in New York City, she is known for her Black humor, dark humor based on personal, often Satire, satirical stories. I ...

* Adam Pally

Production

''Hell of a Summer'' was announced in July 2022 with Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk writing, directing and starring in the film, making it Bryk's directorial debut.

joined the cast and also produces with

Aggregate Films Aggregate Films is an American motion picture production company founded by actor Jason Bateman. The company currently has a first-look deal with Netflix to generate film and television projects. It previously had a two-year first-look producing d ...

Jason Bateman Jason Kent Bateman (born January 14, 1969) is an American actor, director and producer known for his roles of Michael Bluth in the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox/Netflix sitcom ''Arrested Development (TV series), Arrested Development'' and of Mart ...

and Michael Costigan, and Parts and Labor's Jay Van Hoy. Wolfhard (who was 20 years old at the time) told ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'' that he initially struggled to find a financer for the film, with potential investors often citing his age as the reason. Inspiration for the film came from

Edgar Wright Edgar Howard Wright (born 18 April 1974) is an English filmmaker. He is known for his fast-paced and kinetic, satirical genre films, which feature extensive utilisation of expressive popular music, Steadicam tracking shots, dolly zooms and a ...

's '' Shaun of the Dead'' (2004).

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...

began in July 2022 in

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada and wrapped that August. By December, the film was in the

editing Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...

process and in post-production by February 2023.

Release

''Hell of a Summer'' premiered at the

on September 10, 2023, where it was named second runner-up for the People's Choice Award for Midnight Madness. In August 2024,

acquired the United States distribution rights and set a release in 2025.

Reception

Valerie Complex of ''

Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. The site is updated several times a day, with ...

'' gave the film a positive review. She praised Wolfhard and Bryk's direction, saying "they craft a distinct cinematic piece that is both a tribute to and a reinvention of the slasher genre". She wrote the film's lighting was an issue, which causes some of the nighttime scenes to be dimly lit. She ended her review writing that the film "is a delightful mix that strikes the right balance of '80s horror nostalgia and fresh, modern creativity. While it occasionally stumbles in its visual execution, the clever narrative and sharp societal insights ensure it’s a movie worth watching". Jourdain Searles from ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' ended her review saying, "The biggest problem with ''Hell of a Summer'' is that there's really not much to say about it. Watching it is like being in a freshman film class in which the professor is asking everyone to come up with detailed notes on how to improve the film. But making a film is still an achievement in itself, paving the way for more polished work in the future. Maybe it's enough that ''Hell of a Summer'' leaves us eagerly wondering what Bryk and Wolfhard will make next".

References

External links

*{{IMDB title 2023 films 2023 comedy horror films 2020s English-language films 2023 directorial debut films American comedy horror films Canadian comedy horror films 2020s American films 2020s Canadian films Neon (company) films English-language Canadian films