Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk worked on their joint directorial debut, Hell of a Summer, for five years as teenagers. Bryk was just a 19-year-old in film school, while Wolfhard was growing up on the set of Stranger Things. Yet somehow, by fate, the two connected, became friends, and began working together creatively, producing what we now know as Hell of a Summer. The film is about a group of Pineway camp counselors arriving to work a couple days early to prepare for the kids’ arrival. Jason, a 24-year-old washed up counselor who hopes to take over the camp one day, tries to rally his teenage co-workers to complete group activities, while they just want to drink, smoke, and party. However, by the end of the first night people are going missing and wind up being murdered, setting the scene for a perfect comedy slasher.
On Friday, April 4, there was a special screening of the film prior to its full theatrical release on April 12, including a Q&A from co-directors and actors Bryk and Wolfhard, and co-star Fred Hechinger. My friend and I arrived way too early due to our eagerness and excitement of not just seeing the film, but also hearing some insight from some of the cast. More and more, closer to the 7 p.m. showtime, the theater began to fill. As someone who isn’t the biggest fan of gore, I was a little nervous about the murders in the film, but I’m happy to admit I was pleasantly surprised when the comedy and gore worked perfectly together. I predicted lots of impractical blood splatters and cheesy quotes, but the jokes that coincided with the murder plot had the whole theater either gasping or laughing.
Everything in the film was well thought out, including the plot twists and character arcs, whether subtle or made intentionally obvious. I also had lost my faith in comedies for years, simply because I hadn’t seen one that I’ve really loved. Yet, the jokes in this movie genuinely landed every single time. There were people belly-laughing, grasping their seats, and hitting their friends. This unique blend of comedy and slasher is a niche hybrid genre that is loved and critiqued by its devoted fans. As someone who is not a slasher fan, I really enjoyed the film’s murder aspect. It wasn’t too gory or unnecessarily sexual; every kill made sense in the end. I have to applaud the directors and two of the nine stars of the film, Bryk and Wolfhard, for being able to join such opposite genres, equally integrating them in the film, and doing so while they were just teenagers.
As the film came to an end, the audience erupted in cheers and applause for the movie itself and for Bryk, Wolfhard, and Hechinger entering the theatre, announced by the moderator. The moderator asked most of the questions, but when the three co-stars entered, Hechinger did mention that because most of the cast is here for premieres in New York, other actors in the film were in the audience that night. That was really amazing to see because people were sitting next to the cast members and had no idea. Julia Doyle, who played a character named Miley, was sitting right in front of me the entire time, and I had no idea until Hechinger announced this. The moderator kept the Q&A about the process of making the film, leaving more room for conversation so Bryk and Hechinger could jump in whenever. There were also questions from the audience that centered around more specific parts of the film, such as the opening scene and the screenwriting process. I really appreciated all of the casts’ answers, but especially Bryk’s. When he was giving advice for people in the film industry, he spoke very passionately and confidently on the subject.
As a previous fan of both Wolfhard and Hechinger, I can confidently say I’m now a new fan of Bryk as well. The work that went into this film in only 19 days of shooting was fostered by mostly teenagers and film lovers. It almost sounded like a group project, but filled with so much care and passion from Bryk and Wolfhard. There were so many new faces, which is really refreshing in the film industry right now. The film perfectly balanced two very opposing genres, comedy and slasher, which I really enjoyed. I would really recommend this film to horror and/or slasher lovers, not just because I think they’d like it, but because I’m also curious to know if they enjoyed the more modern take on slashers, and the insertion of comedy within the film. I loved this movie, and although I’m not usually a fan of slashers or comedies, maybe Hell of a Summer changed my mind.