Summer of 84 (2018) Reviews

• Creepy Little Flick

  pseawrig2018-10-26

  Yes, it resembles the first season of Stranger Things. Yes, it echoes Disturbia. I suppose it even tangentially recalls the remake of It if you've never watched real 70s/ 80s horror. Still, this film has its own take on the eighties and kid-centered horror. I liked it more than Disturbia (which was too slick) and more than the remake of It (which was too CGI action-oriented to be scary). Even though the story of Summer of 84 is not at all supernatural, the film recalls Phantasm (1979) in the way that its mood blends easy going playfulness with eerie suspense and horror. The cast is good, the writing is strong, the cinematography is spot on, the editing is tight, and the score is lush in its own synthesized way. Summerof 84 may be more creepy than horrific, but in that vein, it succeeds!

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• The ending ruined everything

  sinemfentyy2018-09-11

  It was a good combination of mystery/thriller/teenage movie. But the last 15 minutes were pretty bad. Not just because what happened to Woody. I kept asking myself how easily he could have dragged those two boys without somebody noticing. What about parents? How can anybody sleep when they know their son is the next target of a serial killer?

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• Did not expect that!!

  emmacarter-930412018-08-25

  Did not expect film to be to good! But I was very suprised & odd moments of iffiness for me in regards to acting/lines! But I really enjoyed this film. Also has you in suspense till the end & beyond! Also when I thought it was over it was not at all! Really good film I actually hope there is a 2nd! But the Quote of there are serial killers everywhere is so factual sadly. I am a big true crime fan & this tells the story of what has often sadly at times been a reality! Great film. Deffo worth the watch.

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• A surprise!

  kenneth-mooney2018-08-26

  80's nostalgia is very much 'in' at the moment with the success of Stranger Things and IT, so I approached this movie with a little scepticism given that it's not big budget or on wide release. How wrong I was to doubt it! This is a fantastic little flick, extremely well written and directed and the lead players all give great performances, very typical of how teens were portrayed in the movies of the era. The story centres around a group of four teenagers who begin to suspect that a neighbour is the notorious 'Cape Bay Slayer'. Nothing particularly original in the concept, we've seen it before in movies like The Burbs and Disturbia, even as far back as Hitchcock's Rear Window. The trick here is in the execution, and it's clearly a movie that's been made with a real love for the 80s and for the genre. Those of us who were there will enjoy the pop culture references, which thankfully aren't over used and are subtly included to set the tone. There's the usual annoyance of characters doing things that are apt to get them into trouble, but hey it's a movie and so we need these situations to unfold otherwise it would be pretty boring watching them hang out in a treehouse for 100 minutes right? I won't drop any spoilers, the movie is better if you just go in and let it happen. Give this one a chance and you'll be pleasantly surprised, I know I was.

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• Not Your Typical Serial Killer Film

  SomaQuest2018-10-30

  First and foremost - this film is not to be compared to Stranger Things and / or It because it was never intended to be compared to those films. Summer of '84 is a well constructed indie slow-burn film which draws on the neighborhood and suburban vibe which was only realized fully in this country during the 1980's. Harkening back to such classic films as The 'Burbs, Rear Window, When A Stranger Calls Back and other such '80s gems that hone in on the mentality of evil in our midst sight brought about by the Cold War and anti-communist rhetoric of 1950's McCarthyism. Many of our younger readers will not remember a time when kids actually played outside at night in the neighborhood. Games we all loved such as Kick the Can or War or Flashlight Tag, games that parents secretly worried would expose us to that unknown evil... it is this mindset that Summer of '84 sets itself on. Not your typical serial killer film, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. I will say I was surprised by the ending as I am cursed with determining the plot too early for most films - this one blindsided me and for that I thank the writers. Haters of this film either 1) Don't understand that a horror movie doesn't have to be all in-your-face or 2) have no recollection of life during that period so don't see it as realistic. I was that age during the '80s and I vividly remember playing those games, being exposed to nudie mags, doing the neighborhood festivals, hearing about killers and half-wishing something happened in my area so I could play hero. Well done production crew.

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