MONSTER SUMMER (2024) review
written by: Cornelius Uliano and Bryan Schulz
produced by: Mark Fasano, James Henrie, John Blanford & Dan McDonough
directed by: David Henrie
rated: PG-13 (for some violence and terror)
runtime: 97 min.
U.S. release date: October 4, 2024
There aren’t that many Halloween season releases suitable for adolescents, so “Monster Summer” is coming out at just the right time. The movie conjures that Amblin feeling of yesteryear, offering a coming-of-age adventure from director David Henrie (“This is the Year”) set in a time when bikes were the mode of transportation for juveniles. The story from screenwriters Cornelius Uliano and Bryan Schulz weaves an air of mystery and spookiness throughout while attempting a “Stranger Things” vibe despite being set a decade later than that hit show.
While the setting and initial concept are intriguing, “Monster Summer” winds up being more along the lines of an easily digestible “Goosebumps” episode rather than anything convincingly suspenseful or thought-provoking. Still, as a gateway to thrillers for a specific demographic, the movie will appeal based on its characters and the mystery it offers.
“Monster Summer” opens with a sequence showing a boy trying to get away from something evil in the woods. The boy is seemingly unharmed yet left in a shell-shocked state. Since no one else is a witness, this opening scene is designed solely for viewers, letting the audience know of the kind of mysterious threat they can expect from the movie.
The story then begins in 1997, where the town of Oar Bluffs in Martha’s Vineyard is welcoming back summer residents and tourism. Miss Halverson (Lorraine Bracco) checks into the bed and breakfast run by Abby (Nora Zehetner) and is noticed by her preteen son, Noah (Mason Thames). An aspiring journalist, like his late father, Noah hopes to impress local newspaper editor, Edgar (Kevin James), while passing time nosing around the neighborhood with his peers, Eugene (Julian Lerner), Sammy (Abby James Witherspoon, niece of Reese), and Ben (Noah Cottrell). When Ben is left zombified after experiencing a strange attack while swimming in the ocean one night, Noah begins to think there is something monstrous afoot. Noah winds up pulling in a reclusive ex-cop, Gene (a nicely weathered Mel Gibson), as an ally as he pursues answers to strange occurrences in Oar Bluffs. Initially reluctant, Gene gets invested in Noah’s passion for the truth behind these mysterious happenings, which may or may not revolve around Miss Halverson, and the pair go out of their way to convince others of a malevolent force that shrouds their island.
“Monster Summer” introduces Noah as an earnest kid whose friends are used to his big journalism dreams, always looking for story material on an island where everyone knows everyone. Gene is an old guy who’s kept to himself over the years after the disappearance of his child, which led to separation and estrangement from his wife. Just as there’s always a neighborhood haunted house growing up, there’s also always a local hermit who becomes an urban legend based on generational rumors loosely based on the truth. That’s how Gibson’s Gene is presented, introduced to viewers when Noah and his friends trespass on his property, in hopes of Noah nabbing a new story. It’s a scene that’s akin to something out of “Stand By Me” and “Boys of Summer” (which was the movie’s original title) in a similar vein. On that note, “The Sandlot” actor Patrick Renna has a small role as an umpire, an obvious nod that winds up becoming something suspicious, albeit a red herring.
The screenplay is at its best when focusing on the working relationship that burgeons between Noah and Gene. Both of them have experienced loss in life, and they also, possibly subconsciously, see a need being met by having each other in their lives. Noah lacks a male figure in his life, and Gene catches on to the boy’s journalistic enthusiasm, which conjures a long-lost feeling of usefulness in the former cop.
If only the writers and director David Henrie had given more screen time to these two characters, both of whom have the potential of providing something poignant. Whenever they were on screen together, I couldn’t help but think of 1993’s “The Man Without a Face,” directed by and stars Gibson. Granted, that’s a totally different movie, but what “Monster Summer” shares with it is a friendship in which both characters are somehow saved by the journey they share. Unfortunately, the “monster” part of “Monster Summer” is completely underwhelming and borderline uninteresting compared to this impromptu relationship.
The movie’s antagonist serves up PG-13 scares in a somewhat fairy-tale environment, but the attempted creepy menace isn’t truly sustainable. There are admirable attempts to provide thrills in “Monster Summer” that involve dark magic and lifeforce-sucking, but it’s far from an actual nail-biter. Then again, it all depends on the viewer. As mentioned, this could comfortably be a gateway thriller for a curious young viewer.
RATING: **
