Monster Summer movie storyline. When a mysterious force begins to disrupt their big summer fun, Noah and his friends team up with a retired police detective to embark on a monstrous adventure to save their island.
Monster Summer (formerly Boys of Summer) is an upcoming American adventure horror film directed by David Henrie from a script by Cornelius Uliano and Bryan Schulz, and starring Mel Gibson, Mason Thames and Lorraine Bracco. Monster Summer is scheduled to be released in the United States on October 4, 2024.
Mason Thames (The Black Phone and the live action adaptation of How To Train Your Dragon) along with Mel Gibson (The Passion of the Christ, What Women Want) and Lorraine Bracco (Goodfellas, “The Sopranos”) lead the way to a Monster Summer, directed by David Henrie (“Wizards of Waverly Place”).
Written by Cornelius Uliano and Bryan Schulz (The Peanuts Movie), Monster Summer also stars Nora Zehetner (The Right Stuff), Noah Cottrell (The Spiderwick Chronicles), Abby James Witherspoon (Secret Headquarters), Lilah Pate (Outer Banks), Julian Lerner (The Wonder Years) and Patrick Renna (The Sandlot).
Film Review for Monster Summer
Monster Summer appears to be using one trick from a 1975 thriller classic to hide its monster, amplifying the mystery. Monster Summer’s trailer details the story of Noah (Mason Thames) and his friends who are all set to enjoy a fun summer. However, much like other modern horror movies, things go awry after a mysterious entity attacks one member of the group. They now must team up with a retired detective (Mel Gibson) to save their island from destruction and stop the monster from claiming more victims.
Though the trailer makes the film appear to borrow tropes from more modern franchises, such as Stranger Things, the moments focusing on the monster itself are left very vague. The monster itself remains a mystery throughout the trailer, suggesting that Monster Summer’s monster could be one of the smartest movie monsters in modern horror. That being said, hiding the monster is not a new idea; in fact, it is a method that the 1975 summer blockbuster Jaws used to create the fear the film carries even today.
Monster Summer appears to be hiding its monster in a similar way to the original Jaws, giving little clue as to what the characters will be dealing with. Jaws redefined summer blockbuster movies through its revolutionary scare tactic: hiding the shark until the last second. While the reasoning behind the method was practical, as the shark, named Bruce, was not operational during filming, it still created a building sense of dread of the unknown. That mounting sense of dread is something Monster Summer appears to be mimicking, as little of the monster is seen in the trailer.
The monster of Monster Summer demonstrates its power through the reactions of the characters who see it. Children are glazed-eyed after each encounter and, several times, people are yanked back into darkened rooms. The monster itself, however, goes completely unseen, with only the terror of its victims speaking to its might. Despite this being a staple of the original Jaws, Monster Summer takes these tactics a step further, using coded imagery to confuse audiences about just what the monster truly is.
Monster Summer’s use of varied movie monster imagery hides the monster further, adding to the film’s dread and mystery factor. Monster Summer’s monster seems to come in a variety of forms and has several methods of inflicting pain upon its victims. This variety would not only increase the premise’s mystery, but could rival even Jaws’ sense of mounting terror. One example of this is how the monster appears as a glowing orb and lifts its victims. Both details are reminiscent of older films about aliens, but others point to more folkloric origins for the monster.
The opening section with two teenagers swimming only to be sucked down is reminiscent of Jaws itself, implying the monster may be some sort of sea creature. One shot shows a teen whose hand veins flash, which could be code for some kind of changeling. The vacant eyes and bursts of fear from the children, however, are more suited to monster movies about ghosts. The varied use of imagery could either point to the island being haunted by multiple monsters or one with various abilities, giving the characters of Monster Summer something to truly be scared of.
Monster Summer (2024)
Directed by: David Henrie
Starring: Lorraine Bracco, Mel Gibson, Mason Thames, Kevin James, Nora Zehetner, Patrick Renna, Barbara Goodson, Noah Cottrell, Kelly Collins Lintz, Gary Weeks, Lilah Pate, Abby James Witherspoon
Screenplay by: Bryan Schulz, Cornelius Uliano
Production Design by: Elliott Glick
Cinematography by: Larry Blanford
Film Editing by: Robb Sullivan
Costume Design by: Robbie McKeithan
Set Decoration by: Rachel Wilkin
Art Direction by: Brynna Norvell
Music by: Frederik Wiedmann
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some violence and terror.
Distributed by: Pastime Pictures
Release Date: October 4, 2024
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