Independent distributors Neon and A24 have a long history of releasing prestigious indies that are hits with critics and awards voters alike. At the same time, neither have been afraid to delve into genre, especially the diverse and blood-soaked world of horror. The latest example is Neon’s “Hell of a Summer”, a horror-comedy homage of sorts from co-directors, co-writers, co-producers, and co-stars Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk.

To the young filmmakers’ credit, Bryk and Wolfhard show off a genuine appreciation for the slasher genre. But outside of a few funny lines and some well-executed gags, they aren’t able to bring along anything fresh or unexpected. And they aren’t able to put their own stamp on what is well-worn material. Even more, they never quite commit to either the horror or the satire. So the movie ends up stuck somewhere in the middle, excelling in neither but not really floundering either.

“Hell of a Summer” embraces nearly every summer camp slasher trope, putting a playful spin on some of them and leaning a bit too heavily on others. The film’s biggest strength is found in the goofy but endearing Fred Hechinger. He plays Jason Hochberg, a 24 year-old whose low-bar dream is to one day become a camp leader. In fact he’s so determined that he chose his seventh straight summer at Camp Pineway over an internship at a law firm, much to the chagrin of his frustrated mother (Susan Coyne).

Jason arrives at Pineaway Camp to work another summer for the owners, John (Adam Pally) and Kathy (Rosebud Baker). What he doesn’t know is that the couple have been mercilessly murdered by an unseen killer in the film’s prologue. Jason takes it upon himself to take charge until John and Kathy arrive. But that’s easier said than done, especially on Counselor Weekend where his fellow camp counselors would rather party than do any of Jason’s planned activities.

Outside of Jason, the counselors are a collection of slasher movie archetypes whose purpose should come as no surprise. There’s the image-obsessed Bobby (Bryk), the lovestruck Chris (Wolfhard) and the girl he’s crushing on, Shannon (Krista Nazaire), the tough guy, Mike (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai), the TikTok pretty girl, Demi (Pardis Saremi), the kindly outcast, Claire (Abby Quinn), the theater brat, Ezra (Matthew Finlan), the weird girl who loves the occult, Noelle (Julia Lalonde), the moody kid with a peanut allergy, Ari (Daniel Gravelle), and the raging vegan, Miley (Julia Doyle).

In fairness, nearly everyone has at least one funny line to deliver which turns out to be one of the movie’s saving graces. But in reality they’re just fodder for the masked killer who pops back up and starts murdering the counselors in often underwhelming ways. The mystery of the killer’s identity immediately becomes a central part of the story. Unfortunately the reveal is a shallow, uninspired letdown which leaves a ton of questions and ends things on a yawn-worthy note.

Outside of several funny lines and a really good Fred Hechinger performance, “Hell of a Summer” has a hard time standing out in a memorable way. It can’t quite muster the same appeal as the blood-soaked genre movies it clearly admires. And it doesn’t have enough of its own flavor to come across as something original. But Bryk and Wolfhard show impressive flashes as young filmmakers, especially when it comes to snappy humor. And while they still have a ways to go in some areas, the pair show an energy and commitment that will only help them going forward.

VERDICT – 2 STARS