Disclaimer: I have not researched why this film was made in 2023 and released in 2025. Google is free and in your pocket. I just figured it wasn’t going to be that life-changing of an epiphany. My loss if it is, and I can live with that.

When Finn Wolfhard came onto the scene, he came fast. Stranger Things was an overnight success for the Netflix crowd and, like Hollywood does, they cast the boy in everything they could. Then came Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Frozen Empire. What a waste of talent.

He excels in a type of comedy that few older people comprehend today. His delivery is that of a clueless bumbler who’s repeatedly placing himself into uncomfortable situations. When I’d heard he’d co-written and directed a summer camp slasher film, I got excited.

Let’s see what the fine folks at Wikipedia have to say about this film:

Hell of a Summer is a 2023 comedy horror film written and directed by Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk. It stars Fred Hechinger, Abby Quinn, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Bryk, Wolfhard, Pardis Saremi, Rosebud Baker, and Adam Pally. The film follows a group of counselors at a summer camp who are targeted by a mysterious, devil-masked killer.

It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2023, and was released by Neon on April 4, 2025.

I expected absolutely nothing from this other than a fresh set of eyes behind the camera. What I got was an eighty-eight minute Freshman Prom. What I mean is that everyone was dancing their asses off even though they had zero experience in “dance.” They were clearly just having fun.

This film exhibits what it would be like for those 1980’s masked camp killers to be set in a modern, politically correct-ish setting. Our cast is complete with every type of teenage trope available in today’s society. That means vegans and alphabet organizations are well represented.

Now, before anyone begins screaming that our slasher films are becoming woke, let me remind them that they – like every other form of popular media over the years – have always been. The killer represents the “straights” murdering the counter-culture. Retrospectively, the slasher tropes from the Friday the 13th franchise (stoner, jock, virgin, slut, nerd, etc) were the social outcasts of conservative society during the Ronald Reagan era.

I noticed before viewing that this film is 50/50 on the fence when it comes to likes vs. dislikes. That said, I was prepared for a stinker of a first film by a director who could’ve been spoon-fed delusions of grandeur by the cruelest of Hollywood dream-weavers. For sure, this film seems self-aware. That may have been what saved it for me.

The writing is as nonsensical as any other slasher film, and the budget shows its ugly face through overused tight shots in similar locations. The director and crew did the best they could do with the tools they could afford…

And they landed it.

Wolfhard’s comedic delivery and uncomfortable demeanor bleeds through in each actor’s performance, creating a smorgasbord of every modern lifestyle, allergy, and death-method (deathod?). His ability to time moments of silence during tense situations drives this film. Every group of friends has several of these characters in them and, if yours doesn’t, then, chances are, you’re that friend.

I would recommend watching this film with minimal interruptions since most of the humor is delivered through the witty dialogue. You’ll either love or hate this according to the statistics. I fell on the more positive side, and laughed until I hurt during one scene in particular. It was the hardest laughter I’ve produced in years, and I couldn’t believe what I was laughing about.

Give this one a chance. It won’t be the best slasher you’ve ever seen, but it will definitely be the quirkiest.

Spoiler alert: I’m a happily married man who’s getting on up in years, but I don’t recall any slasher film-style gratuitous nudity. For that, I have to drop a star.

***

Have you seen this film? Do you agree with my rating? Let me know in the comments below!

Also, don’t forget your book!

Do you like split crowd reactions? Want something that may test your limits?

To most, 1865 was an eye-opening year. The American Civil War was officially over and the soldiers fortunate enough to survive the bloody conflict returned home to collect the pieces of their former lives. To young Arizonan, Robert Jack, the fateful desert homecoming marked the end to all he once knew. Forgiveness is overrated. Death is final. Revenge, however, dances between the fine lines of mortality and eternity. Love always finds a way.

Also, there’s a few other things not listed here that are floating around out there. Best of luck with the hunt.