Jason Hochberg rests his chin on his arm, staring wistfully out the car window as his mom drives him up to Pineway Camp for the summer. A look of contented, quiet delight plays wistfully on Jason’s features. After all, there’s no place like summer camp: “A bad day at Pineway is better than a good day anywhere else,” the camp song proclaims. Truer lyrics were never written, if you ask Jason.
You see, Jason is a veteran. A true believer in the wonder of Pineway. I mean, he’s been the runner up in the camp championship competition four years in a row—an unprecedented feat. Maybe this year is Jason’s year to take home the trophy. Maybe this year is Jason’s year to truly shine. Maybe this year, someone will notice, and even recognize, Jason’s burgeoning leadership gifts—even if his mom, well, doesn’t.
“You’re 24 years old, and you’re still going to summer camp?” she grumbles.
Yes, Jason is going to camp. But as great as Pineway always is, this summer is going to be even better. The best year ever.
That’s because the camp owners, an older couple named John and Kathy, seem to be handing him the keys to more responsibility. More leadership. And Jason isn’t going to fumble that opportunity.
Except that when he arrives, John and Kathy aren’t anywhere to be found. But the rest of the old gang is already there, getting ready for another summer as counselors.
Best friends Chris and Bobby hope this summer, they’ll score with the ladies—either other counselors or “older campers.” Shannon, one of the other counselors, seems like she might be amenable to that idea with Chris. Ari, meanwhile, is allergic to peanuts, and that lifelong anxiety over the issue has shaped him profoundly. Demi is a pretty social-media darling. Mike follows her around like a lovesick puppy.
Then there’s Miley, a hardcore vegan. And Noelle, who thinks she’s clairvoyant and can talk to the dead. Effeminate Ezra lives for the stage and never misses a chance to deliver an impassioned monologue. And Claire? Well, she’s the most levelheaded member of this narcissistic, neurotic crew of soon-to-be counselors.
I say soon-to-be counselors because, well, camp doesn’t start for a few days—plenty of time for some very un-camplike activities while everyone waits for John and Kathy to return.
Looks like Jason’s in charge until then. Yup, it’s gonna be a summer to remember, that’s for sure.
As long as no one gets brutally murdered, that is.
It quickly becomes clear that not only does Jason’s own mother not really get him, but neither does anyone else. Jason is a wide-eyed kid at heart when it comes to the joy of camp. He’s there to help kids and his fellow counselors. And even though Jason is at first the brunt of bullying quips and jokes—and then, much worse—he never loses his focus on being a good person. In fact, once the murderous plot against the counselors begins to unfold, he’s the only one willing (at least at first) to put his life on the line for everyone else. Jason’s awe-shucks character brings to mind Forrest Gump just a bit, which easily the most positive aspect of this story.
Despite Jason’s stereotypically portrayed geekiness, Claire gradually begins to recognize that there’s real substance in Jason’s character and willingness to sacrifice to save people who haven’t displayed similar loyalty toward him. Jason’s courageous character eventually rubs on Claire, too, as she decides against going for help (a 30-mile walk through the wilderness) and returns to confront the counselors’ attacker. Some of the other counselors are likewise galvanized to fight back late in the film as well.
Looked at through squinting eyes, you can just barely make out the outline of a cautionary message about the dehumanizing dangers of social media—a theme that’s only really visible after a big plot twist late in the film.
Once counselors begin getting murdered, Noelle gathers the survivors around for a round with a Ouija board. She believes she can contact the spirits of those who’ve been killed to learn more about the identity of their attacker. Bobby crassly rejects participating at first, exclaiming, “I don’t f— with that ghost s—.” But Noelle coaxes him to the circle, saying that everyone needs to participate in order to “bless the board.” Elsewhere, Noelle is seen reading a book titled Spirit Talk Beyond, and she tells someone that she’s clairvoyant as well.
Miley is a vegan who thanks Jason for making her a veggie burger with the Hindu saying “namaste.”
The killer wears a red devil mask with horns.
Chris and Bobby, as mentioned, hope to hook up with willing female partners, be they other counselors or “older campers.” Chris, we hear, accomplishes that goal with Shannon, and he describes his sexual encounter with her to Bobby in crass terms.
Demi and Mike are an item as well, and she chastises him at one point for constantly wanting to have sex with her. Mike brags to someone about how great hooking up with Demi is, using a crude term to describe her anatomy.
There’s a passing verbal allusion to masturbation. Someone is derided as a “c—blocker.” One young woman is shown in a bikini in one scene and a cleavage-baring dress elsewhere. A different woman wears a very clingy sweater.
H— of a Summer is a horror movie set at a camp. So … we know that there’s likely going to be an axe involved, and that not everyone is going to make it out alive.
The axe ends up splitting a leg and a skull. Other painful moments include: A steak knife rammed through someone’s head; a guitar neck shoved mortally into a victim’s mouth; an arrow piercing one character’s eye socket; someone being stabbed; one person’s neck being slashed; a decapitation (offscreen) with that person’s head being stored in a refrigerator (which we do see); a wounded character’s head being repeatedly crushed with a heavy object; another person’s head gets stomped on by a boot. Oh, and there’s also a brutal fistfight.
Multiple dead and/or decaying bodies are seen.
Suspicions fall on one camper, whom the other survivors tie up, blindfold and threaten to torture until that person confesses to the murders up to that point.
Someone gets sprayed with bear repellent, effectively blinding him for much of the movie.
Nearly 70 f-words, six s-words. Gods’ name is taken in vain seven times, including two pairings with “d–n.” Jesus’ name is taken in vain a couple of times. “P—y” is used twice as a synonym for coward and twice referencing the female anatomy. We also hear two crude uses of this word anatomically, as well as crude slang term for the male anatomy as well. Other vulgarities used one to three times each are “a–,” “a–hole” and b–ch.”
Various characters smoke and drink until the killing starts, which puts the kibosh on ingesting those substances.
Jason makes everyone turn their phones in, putting them in a basket, for a social media break before camp starts.
I think if I had one word to sum up Hell of a Summer, it’d be not.
It’s not that scary.
It’s not that funny.
It’s not quite as gruesome as the camp-slaughter films that inspired it.
It’s not a movie you’re ever going to want to watch again.
And, for that matter, it’s really not a movie that you need to watch the first time around.
Hell of Summer was cowritten and codirected by Stranger Things alum and rising Hollywood star Finn Wolfhard. He’s 22. And I suspect that apart from his star power, this likely isn’t a movie that ever gets made.
Jason’s steadfastly upbeat character, as well as his redemptive influence on Claire, are worth noting as elements on the positive side of the ledger. But those isolated moments alone are definitely not worth buying a ticket for Hell of a Summer.
After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.
