The Wasteland Reviewer

Monster Summer (2024) Written Review

Who doesn’t enjoy a nice nostalgic romp back to our childhood? Life used to be simpler. Trying your best on your baseball team. Hanging out with your friends all summer long. Hopping on a bike and riding until it is dinner time. The long days of summer act as a blank canvas for imagination. No work. No other responsibilities. But that doesn’t mean that things will be that simple. Just look at films like It and The Goonies and you realize that there is so much more that can complicate what looks to be a fun and quiet summer of youth. That is the exact vibe that Monster Summer goes for. 

How does director David Henrie and writers Bryan Schulz and Cornelius Uliano channel that youthful summer nostalgia? Monster Summer certainly walks on a path created by the likes of Stephen King, Steven Spielberg, and Richard Donner. There are familiar beats of friends enjoying a quiet summer in New England until a mysterious threat begins to target the children in town. Very King for sure. But instead of aliens, shapeshifting evil, or Italian crime families, we have ourselves a witch story. There are all common tropes of only a singular adult believing the “tall tales” of children and they must resolve the issue themselves. You even have some obvious “red herrings” to throw us off. There are some different ripples in the tale with our young protagonist, Noah (Mason Thames), being abandoned by his friends as well. There are some strong emotional beats as well. With Noah’s loss of his father and Gene (Mel Gibson) being a former cop whose marriage failed after the abduction of their child, there are some beats that deepen the drama of the film. 

How about the feel of the film? Henrie does not exactly create a clear and distinct voice in his direction. There are no visual elements that stand out either. There are some rock-solid practical effects and make-up that work for the film that gives it an older school feel. Overall, there is a darker atmosphere that falls somewhere in between Donner and King. An effective score also helps set the mood for this film as well. There are some moderately effective scares that feel muted by the focus for potentially younger audiences. There are a few key scenes that lean into the genre elements of the film. The story has some twists and turns that work just fine. 

How about this cast? The film is anchored by the talents of young performer, Thames, who made quite the splash with The Black Phone. Here he delivers an empathetic and rock-solid performance that is enough to keep the film focused. Gibson is a rock that drops in perfectly and has good chemistry with Thames. His nice balance of snarky comments and emotional weight helps add needed depth to the story. Lorraine Bracco is good in adding some personality to the film as well as a suspected witch in town. Kevin James is a local newspaper man who comes off like a cartoon character thanks to a horribly chosen accent for his character. The Sandlot alumnus, Patrick Renna, adds some surprising elements to the film as well. 

Does Monster Summer stand out on its own with widespread nostalgia projects all around? Not especially. This feels like a safe but earnest attempt at recreating the magic of fantasy summer coming-of-age tales. This one will not live on like The Goonies even with it trying hard to do so. There are just too many derivative elements to Monster Summer for its own good. Enjoyable and watchable, this is a perfect little flick for the Halloween season.