Before campers arrive, a group of counselors kick off the summertime festivities. However, the fun is short-lived when a masked killer begins picking them off one by one. Written and directed by Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk, Hell of a Summer is filled with classic slasher camp shenanigans and serves an impressive debut for the young filmmakers, despite a few under-baked ideas.
Jason (Fred Hechinger) is the king of camp, much to his mother’s dismay. At 24 years old, with a bright future ahead of him, he has decided to return to Camp Pineway to make it his best year yet. Joined by a crew of familiar faces, he leads the counselors as they prepare for the incoming campers.
As they get reacquainted and settle in to make new memories, they soon realize this will be a summer to die for, as they become targets of a masked maniac.
Hell of a Summer marks the feature debut for both Wolfhard and Bryk. Viewers will recognize Wolfhard from his roles in Stranger Things, It, and It Chapter 2. So it only makes sense he’d craft an equally nostalgia-fueled horror comedy.
The film does a nice job of capturing that warmth of returning to a place that’s created such core childhood memories. Anyone who spent summers at camp also knows that heightened expectation you have going into it, including rekindling old crushes.
This sentiment is wonderfully embodied by Hechinger’s portrayal of the awkward yet passionate Jason. He maintains a jovial attitude despite his peers’ constant eye rolls. No matter what, he clings to the values of Camp Pinewood and their friendships, making him an endearing character for viewers to root for. He also delivers some of the film’s best comedic moments.
The film does feel more like a comedy than a straightforward slasher. And I think that’s because the latter is where some of its weaker elements are, which I’ll get to. The script itself is quite clever, featuring a sardonic blend of wit that keeps the film light and entertaining. The entire cast works well with this tone, and everyone delivers their lines effectively.
One of the film’s main gimmicks is paying homage to 80s camp slashers like Friday the 13th or Sleepaway Camp. It manages to balance modern slasher elements with these references without overly relying on nostalgia to keep audiences engaged. However, the horror component feels somewhat lacking.
While the film is rated R, many of the kills occur off-screen, with playful edits cutting away from the violence. It lacks the vicious touch expected with a slasher film, and we have to wait quite a while to see a memorable death.
The killer’s reveal is also somewhat clumsy (which I won’t spoil). The way it’s integrated into the story disrupts the plot’s flow. The film struggles to regain that speed while viewers are left processing a motive that feels uninteresting. And it also lacks that connection back to the camp and counselors; it just feels generic. Even the killer’s choice of mask feels disconnected from the film.
But despite a lackluster villainous arc, Hell of a Summer is a solid camp slasher that captures the nostalgia of lakeside days with old friends. Hechinger is undoubtedly the film’s biggest charm, though the rest of the cast also deliver worthy performances. I just wish it had more of a killer reveal and a better rationale behind the carnage.
Hell of a Summer is in theaters now!
Jordy Reviews It 
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