"Hell of a Summer" (2025)

by Joseph Perry and Mike Imboden

In our “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict” film reviews, Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema. For this installment, it’s going to be a Hell of a Summer, a horror comedy courtesy of Billy Bryk and Finn Wolfhard.

Synopsis

The counselors of a summer camp are terrorized by a masked killer.

The Good

Joseph: We’re well into a post-post-Scream era when it comes to slasher films now. I’m not sure whether there is a name for the subgenre yet, but let’s call it “megameta” for the sake of this review of Hell of a Summer. Cowriters/codirectors Billy Bryk and Finn Wolfhard deliver one such feature, and it stands as one of the better recent megameta slasher offerings. The characters are riffs on the expected tropes but they also deliver a few surprises, and the members of the ensemble cast all give solid, committed performances. Humor is subjective but the comedy here worked quite well for me, including a certain hilariously original lead up to a kill that I, ahem, went nuts for.

Mike: It doesn’t take long before you know what kind of movie you’re getting into with Wolfhard and Bryk’s Hell of a Summer. Right from the get-go you’re treated to a couple of slasher film tropes and innovative kills as two likable folks are offed to set the tone for the rest of the picture.

What follows is a pretty by-the-numbers slasher film, from the types of characters to how people are dispatched. But below that thin surface is a Scream for the Gen Z masses — both self-aware and self-referential in the way characters are portrayed as well as their motivations. While some things never change (some people just want to hook up), others do, such as the desire to become “Internet-famous”.

Hechinger’s “Jason” took a while to win me over, at first coming across as a ridiculous caricature but eventually becoming a well-rounded lead worthy of trying to save the day.

The Bad

Joseph: Fred Hechinger is impressive in his portrayal of man-child Jason, but I couldn’t stand the character for the majority of the film’s running time. Jason feels overwritten and overly hammered-home regarding his awkward personality.

Mike: I feel like Hell of a Summer walks a bit of a fine line between appeal and alienation with its footing firmly in the world of Gen Z archetypes and sensibilities, some of which may not play well in Peoria, as it were. Older, more “slasher purist” types may find themselves rolling their eyes while dealing with a feeling of “been there, done that”.

The Verdict

Joseph: Hell of a Summer is entertaining throughout, and raises the bar for megameta slashers, be they straight fright-fare or horror comedies. Bryk and Wolfhard have crafted a fun, highly amusing debut feature with a big heart at its center, and here’s hoping we’ll get more fare from this talented duo.

Mike: Hell of a Summer takes a well worn plot and dresses it up in Gen Z fashion which results in a fun ride that fans of slashers — and horror/comedy in general — should definitely take a chance on.

Just be prepared — this ain’t your father’s slasher flick.