Movie Review: Monster Summer

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

An excellent family friendly horror movie.

This is a delightful Halloween treat (even if it takes place during the summer) for both younger audiences and those who want to watch something scary but not too scary. This movie does have some surprisingly effective scares in it. However, they are the type of scares that will be creepy and unsettling while you are watching the film but won't give you nightmares when you try to go to sleep that night. The whole film features a delightfully uneasy atmosphere that will keep you on the edge of your seat. One of my favorite conventions of spooky themed movies is the seemingly innocent town, where everything seems idyllic having some dark undercurrent beneath it. And this movie captures this perfectly. It makes it hard not to get sucked into the delightful atmosphere of this film. Also helping this out is that the film takes place in the 90's giving it a delightful nostalgic tone (especially for those in their 30's and 40's) that contrasts well with the spooky scenes. Like almost all good spooky movies, this film has more than just scares going for it. There is some well-done drama here as well. The main characters are very likable and relatable. We especially grow to care about the main kid and the jaded older man he befriends. While this kind of relationship is definitely more than a little cliché, it is very well handled here. We truly believe the friendship as they grow to care about each other and even both help make the other grow as a person. It doesn't hurt that both Mel Gibson and Mason Thames have great chemistry with each other. This movie also features some really good twists that honestly keep you guessing about who is behind this.

This film does have its flaws though. One is that it can feel too familiar at times. It is hard not to think of many other movies and TV shows starring kids that are in their pre-teens or early teens, while watching this. This is also a very mid-budget film and sometimes the special effects don't look that great. Luckily these special effects are used sparingly.

This movie was written by Bryan Schulz (grandson of Peanuts creator Charles Shultz) and Cornelius Uliano. This was the duo that had previously written The Peanuts Movie (2015). This is Bryan Shultz's first writing credit not connected to his grandfather's characters. 

This is a pure Halloween treat that I highly recommend.