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‘Hell of a Summer’ Review: ‘Stranger Things’ Star Finn Wolfhard’s Co-Directing Debut Is a Cut Above
Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk strike the right balance of laughter and suspense in 'Hell of a Summer,' a bloody comedy inspired by 'Friday the 13th.'
The clearest explanation I can point to is the fact that, at a time of considerable economic uncertainty in the film industry, horror movies are performing better than ever: They’re cheap, they’re profitable and they consistently draw audiences without the cost of a massive marketing campaign. By contrast, the young filmmakers have not only seen but internalized that movie and so many of its imitators, to the point that they can both quote and subvert the codes — from Jay McCarrol’s catchy electronic score (a hat tip to John Carpenter) to the postmodern killer-as-pop-culture-addict meta-critique screenwriter Kevin Williamson brought to “Scream,” etc. An early shot, spying from the killer’s POV behind some bushes, is an overt homage to “Friday the 13th.” And it can be no coincidence that Hechinger plays a guy named Jason, whose mother questions whether he should move on with his life, as opposed to returning once again to Pineway, where he’s spent so many summers, first as a camper, and later as a counselor.
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