Hell of a Summer is a new film from Neon that premiered this weekend, but truly premiered at 2023’s TIFF. Co-written & co-directed by Finn Wolfhard & Billy Bryk, the film also stars the two alongside Fred Hechinger, Abby Quinn, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Pardis Saremi, Rosebud Baker, Adam Pally, and Krista Nazaire. As the counselors are getting Camp Pineway ready the night before the campers arrive, a masked killer begins killing the staff.

Slashers have always been hit-or-miss for me, but the idea that a directorial debut from Finn Wolfhard that appeared to be a throwback heavily intrigued me. It feels like I have seen Wolfhard grow up since his debut on Stranger Things. It’s commendable how he has been able to make a film on this caliber at his age. The fact that the movie also stars Fred Hechinger, a rising star in Hollywood, also grabbed my interest. While the film is a solid directorial debut for Bryk & Wolfhard, the movie needed better pacing to make it more exciting and better execution with its comedy.

The film starts off on a solid note. We get a glimpse at who this killer is going to be through this couple at a lake as they enjoy their time playing instrumental music and drinking some beer. It stars off nice and within minutes, we get the impression that this a couple who really love each other. That’s why what happens next to them makes us care what does happen to them. Just as the girl returns with more drinks and see what happens to the guy, she runs back to her car, delivering one of my favorite scenes in the film. When she gets in her car and turns on her headlights, you expect to see the killer. You don’t, and the scene Bryk & Wolfhard pull off really shows their true potential as filmmakers.

From that opening scene, the film cuts to the characters that we will follow for the rest of the movie, setting up some really interesting characters. It’s clear from the jump that Fred Hechinger will lead the film. His name as Jason creates a lot of comedic relief with people assuming he’s the killer since the premise feels similar to Friday the 13th, even if its completely predictable that he’s not the killer. Actually, it’s not even difficult to predict who the killer is, who lacks the right motive for what they do.

The film feels like a true throwback to its era. I can certainly understand what it has been beloved by many. The film wears its influences on its sleeve, but nothing really wowed me. Like its influences, nothing really happens until about halfway through. At 88 minutes, the film certainly feels longer than it does. The film is more so geared towards being a comedy, but doesn’t quite tackle is to make it funny enough. For context, out of the 8 people including myself in the theater, only 1 person was laughing consistently throughout while the film got a few chuckles out of me.

That’s not to say that Bryk & Wolfhard aren’t showing promise as filmmakers. They certainly share a similar taste in comedy. If you are looking for something that makes fun of the genre more than being a direct influence, then I can see where people will enjoy it. As for the actual slasher portion of the film, the face masks are pretty unique, but as mentioned before, the real twist is predictable and could have used some more work to pull off right.

One way the film could have pulled its twist off is by having a larger cast attached. The film only shows the camp counselors, never the kids who go to the camp. I guess we’ll never know what happens next for the kids that are supposed to show up. By having more kids show up, it could have lead us to question who the real killer is. If the film didn’t want to do this, at least have a better pacing that makes it feel more exciting. I feel like I shouldn’t have felt as bored as I did.

When it comes to casting though, Bryk & Wolfhard found the right people. There are cast members here that grabbed my attention that I will in doubt watch going forward. Everyone for the most part has a humane side to them that makes them feel a little bit more real. I even appreciate how the film doesn’t try to kill off every single character. Notably, I connected with Bryk’s character the most who was always trying to prove the people around him wrong.

Overall, there are strong components that work for Hell of a Summer. Billy Bryk & Finn Wolfhard show promise as filmmakers, but could add more to the writing process to help it feel more alive. I can easily see fans of the genre enjoying this though.

VERDICT: 2.5/5 (Okay)