Hell of a Summer | |
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Directed by | |
Written by |
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Produced by |
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Starring |
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Cinematography | Kristofer Bonnell |
Edited by |
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Music by | Jay McCarrol |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Neon |
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Running time | 88 minutes [1] |
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Language | English |
Hell of a Summer is a 2023 comedy horror film written and directed by Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk (in his directorial debut). It stars Fred Hechinger, Abby Quinn, Bryk, Wolfhard, Pardis Saremi and D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai.
It premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2023, and is set to be released by Neon in 2025.
As the counselors are getting Camp Pineway ready the night before the campers arrive, a masked killer begins killing the staff. [1]
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. Fred Hechinger joined the cast and also produces with Aggregate Films' Jason Bateman and Michael Costigan, and Parts and Labor's Jay Van Hoy. [3] [4] Wolfhard (who was 20 years old at the time) told Entertainment Weekly that he initially struggled to find a financer for the film, with potential investors often citing his age as the reason. [5] Inspiration for the film came from Edgar Wright's Shaun of the Dead (2004). [6]
Principal photography began in July 2022 in Ontario, Canada and wrapped that August. [3] [7] By December, the film was in the editing process and in post-production by February 2023. [8] [4]
Hell of a Summer premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2023, where it was named second runner-up for the People's Choice Award for Midnight Madness. [9] [10] [1] In August 2024, Neon acquired the United States distribution rights and set a release in 2025. [11]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 50% of 14 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5/10. [12]
Valerie Complex of Deadline Hollywood 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". [2]
Jourdain Searles from The Hollywood Reporter 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". [13]
A scream queen is an actress who is prominent and influential in horror films, either through a notable appearance or recurring roles. A scream king is the male equivalent. Notable female examples include Barbara Steele, Sandra Peabody, Linda Blair, Felissa Rose, Olivia Hussey, Marilyn Burns, Neve Campbell, Daria Nicolodi, Dee Wallace, Jamie Lee Curtis, Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Samara Weaving, Heather Langenkamp, Shawnee Smith, Emma Roberts, Katharine Isabelle and Linnea Quigley.
Fred Hechinger is an American actor. He began his career with supporting roles in such films as the coming-of-age film Eighth Grade (2018), the period drama News of the World (2020), and the psychological thriller The Woman in the Window (2021). Also in 2021, he starred in the Netflix horror The Fear Street Trilogy (2021) and the first season of the HBO anthology series The White Lotus (2021). He has since portrayed Seth Warshavsky in the miniseries Pam & Tommy (2022) and starred in the comedy film Thelma (2024).
Finn Wolfhard is a Canadian actor and musician. He is known for playing Mike Wheeler on the Netflix series Stranger Things (2016–present). He also played the roles of Richie Tozier in the horror film It (2017) and its sequel It Chapter Two (2019), and has starred in the supernatural comedy Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) and its sequel Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024).
Jack Dylan Grazer is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Eddie Kaspbrak in the horror film It (2017) and its 2019 sequel, Freddy Freeman in the DC Extended Universe film Shazam! (2019) and its 2023 sequel, and voicing Alberto Scorfano in the Pixar animated film Luca (2021). The Hollywood Reporter named him one of the top 30 stars under age 18 in 2018.
Abby Quinn is an American actress. She is known for her role in the 2023 M. Night Shyamalan horror film Knock at the Cabin.
Hell Fest is a 2018 American slasher film directed by Gregory Plotkin and written by Seth M. Sherwood, Blair Butler, Akela Cooper and from a story by William Penick, Christopher Sey and Stephen Susco. The film stars Amy Forsyth, Reign Edwards, Bex Taylor-Klaus, and Tony Todd, and follows a group of teens who are stalked by a serial killer while visiting a traveling Halloween carnival.
The Turning is a 2020 American gothic supernatural horror film directed by Floria Sigismondi and written by Carey W. Hayes and Chad Hayes. It is a modern adaptation of the 1898 ghost story The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. It stars Mackenzie Davis, Finn Wolfhard, Brooklynn Prince, and Joely Richardson, and follows a young governess in 1994 who is hired to watch over two children after their parents are killed.
NEON Rated, LLC, doing business as Neon, is an American independent film production and distribution company founded in 2017 by CEO Tom Quinn and Tim League, who also was the co-founder of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema chain. As of 2019, League is no longer involved with daily operations for the company.
When You Finish Saving the World is a 2022 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg in his feature directorial debut. The film is based on Eisenberg's 2020 audio drama of the same name. Julianne Moore and Finn Wolfhard star as a mother and son who navigate their contentious relationship while trying to connect with other people. Jay O. Sanders, Alisha Boe, Billy Bryk, and Eleonore Hendricks also star. The film premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and was released by A24 in the United States on January 20, 2023, to generally positive reviews.
Night Shifts is a 2020 Canadian short comedy film written and directed by Finn Wolfhard, starring Billy Bryk and Artoun Nazareth.
Knock at the Cabin is a 2023 American apocalyptic psychological horror film written, directed and produced by M. Night Shyamalan, who wrote the screenplay from an initial draft by Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman. It is based on the 2018 novel The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul G. Tremblay, the first adaptation of one of his works. The film stars Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Kristen Cui, Abby Quinn, and Rupert Grint. In the film, a family is vacationing at a remote cabin when they are suddenly held hostage by four strangers who ask them to do something unimaginable.
D'Pharaoh Miskwaatez McKay Woon-A-Tai is a Canadian actor of Oji-Cree descent. He is best known for his role as Bear Smallhill in the FX on Hulu comedy-drama series Reservation Dogs (2021), for which he received nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and two Critics' Choice Television Awards.
Nightbitch is a 2024 American comedy horror film written and directed by Marielle Heller, based on the 2021 novel by Rachel Yoder. It stars Amy Adams in the lead role alongside Scoot McNairy, Arleigh Patrick Snowden, Emmett James Snowden, Zoë Chao, Mary Holland, Ella Thomas, Archana Rajan, and Jessica Harper in supporting roles.
Fitting In is a 2023 Canadian coming-of-age comedy drama film written and directed by Molly McGlynn. It stars Maddie Ziegler, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Djouliet Amara, and Emily Hampshire. The film was titled Bloody Hell in its first showing at SXSW. Several additional film festival showings were presented in 2023. The film won the award for Best Canadian Film at the 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival. It was released in theatres in February 2024.
William Nicholas Bryk is a Canadian actor and filmmaker, most noted as co-director with Finn Wolfhard of the 2023 film Hell of a Summer.
Saturday Night is a 2024 American biographical comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman, about the night of the 1975 premiere of NBC's Saturday Night, later known as Saturday Night Live.
Warfare is an upcoming war film written and directed by Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland. The film stars Charles Melton, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Joseph Quinn, Kit Connor, Cosmo Jarvis, Will Poulter, and Finn Bennett.
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