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For those of us who are facing the potent amalgam of sorrow, dread and excitement that accompanies the looming reality of college graduation, it should be nearly impossible not to relate, on some level, to Jason Hochberg. Who is Jason Hochberg, you ask? Unfortunately, even the other characters in the movie in which Jason appears always seem to forget about him.
When Jason (Fred Hechinger), sporting the evocative first name of the hockey mask-donning “Friday the 13th” villain, first appears on screen, he is gleefully poking his head out of a car window, feeling the wind whistle past his scruffy beard. Jason’s mother, sitting in the driver’s seat, abruptly closes his window, ending his idyllic moment.
So begins the slasher comedy “Hell of a Summer,” the directorial debut of Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler of “Stranger Things”) and Billy Bryk. The film, released April 4, follows an eclectic assortment of teenagers and 20-somethings gathered at the tranquil, forest-girdled Camp Pineway for counselor weekend. The assembled counselors soon find that the camp’s draconian iPhone confiscation policy is the least of their concerns when a masked, knife-wielding killer begins to pick them off one by one.
This frightening development renders the characters — from the stereotypical film bro, Ari (Daniel Gravelle), to the theatrically inclined Ezra (Matthew Finlan) — helpless as they succumb to infighting, leaving it to the awkward yet earnest self-appointed camp leader, Jason, to save the day.
In truth, very little separates Wolfhard and Bryk’s film from typical slashers. Beyond a pair of creatively-executed opening kills, the slaughters unfold in fairly unstylish fashion, with several of them occurring — oddly enough for an R-rated slasher — offscreen.
The twist that reveals the killer’s identity is fairly predictable, relying heavily on the formula perfected by “Scream.” The motive behind the murders comes across as shallow and underdeveloped, though one could argue that, given who is responsible for the killings, shallowness may be the most appropriate quality imaginable.
It helps that, when its horror seems withholding, “Hell of a Summer” leans into its comedy, with often hilarious results. The jokes land far more often than not, with characters’ melodramatic reactions to vegan burgers, nut allergies and minor injuries serving as the highlights.
Another factor that ultimately saves “Hell of a Summer” from sliding into forgettable territory is the committed work of a talented cast. Bryk and Hechinger emerged as the clear standouts, breathing humorous life into Bobby and Jason, respectively. Bobby’s fixation on an imagined insult and concerns regarding the potential presence of bears make for entertaining running jokes. Hechinger, meanwhile, skillfully depicts the well-intentioned awkwardness of his character through goofy grins and the occasional stammer.
Jason also provides the emotional core that grounds this silly slasher. His desire to delay the onset of adulthood — despite already being 24 years old — by spending another summer at Camp Pineway instead of finding an internship should feel achingly relatable to anyone who has endured the bittersweet experience of bidding farewell to a beloved summer camp. Jason’s selfless protection of his fellow counselors despite their tendencies to overlook and mistreat him, as well as his endearing chemistry with the jaded Claire (Abby Quinn), make him a lovable character who, along with the scene-stealing Bobby, carries the film.
Ironically, Wolfhard and Bryk’s best writing and directorial decision was to give Wolfhard a fairly minor part in the film’s story. Much to the relief of those among us who grew to detest Mike Wheeler by the fourth season of “Stranger Things,” Wolfhard, who often comes across as simultaneously annoying and bland in the show, takes up a small role in which he pines for another uninteresting character, Shannon (Krista Nazaire).
Admittedly, the decision to place the entertaining Hechinger at the story’s center rather than attempt to balance both actors equally suggests that Wolfhard and Bryk have strong filmmaking instincts. The film’s successful evocation of 1980s slasher vibes, along with some strong camerawork (including a shockingly breathtaking closing shot), suggests bright behind-the-camera futures for the pair.
If I am giving “Hell of a Summer” an undue surplus of credit, it may be the result of the connection I felt to Jason as he navigates the end of his time at Pineway and inevitable assimilation into the adult world. As I stand on the precipice of major life change, a mere month from graduation and still frantically scouring employment sites for a gap year job, I feel an unexpected kinship with Jason, who seemed eager to postpone his adult life by just a few more months.
As I type these words, my final ones as a writer for The Guide, I, like Jason, feel certain about only one thing: It is going to be one “Hell of a Summer.”