Hell of a Summer (2025) - Decent Horror/Comedy That Does Nothing New

My daughter loved Finn Wolfhard, and she found out he co-wrote and directed this little horror comedy here. I had no idea it even existed, but it looked like the first Friday the 13th movie, and I grew up with those slasher flicks. 

Well, I was right. It's Friday the 13th with a comedic spin. 

When I say that, I mean they make it pretty clear.  It's about some teenage counselors at an isolated lake camp,  where there are no kids. A mysterious murderer is killing them one by one in one night, all in brutal fashion. The lead character is named Jason, for heaven's sake.

However, the counselors are all completely incompetent, stereotypical, and Gen Z. They are all about themselves and their outward appearance, their emotions, and are oblivious to anything that doesn't revolve around themselves. Honestly, it's a pretty genius twist.

It's not side-splitting funny, but I actually laughed a few times at the sheer narcissism of the counselors, especially one called Bobby. Each of them falls into a specific trope - one's a man-child, one is seriously vain, one is really into theater, etc. I guess if you're looking for depth, look elsewhere.

The script is very straightforward, the directing is rather flat, but the cast is willing, and there are a few chuckles between kills. There is nothing groundbreaking here at all, and that's what keeps it down for me. 

A random stranger's opinion - Fun for a few laughs, but that's about it. If you're gasping for a horror comedy, you could do worse.

Grade: C