Summary
Stranger ThingsstarFinn Wolfhard’s directorial debut, thehorrormovieHell of a Summer,has a trailer now, andStranger Thingsfans won’t want to miss this hilarious slasher story.
Co-directed by Wolfhard and Billy Bryk, who are also working on aremake of the 1990s horror movieIdle Hands,Hell of a SummerstarsFred Hechinger as 24-year-old Camp Pineway counselor Jason Hochberg. He isn’t particularly excited about the upcoming months, but things get even worse when he realizes there’s a serial killer around.
Hell of a Summer,which isproduced by NEON, has plenty of jokes to balance out the scary tone. When Fred asks his mom “How many summers does a guy get to spend here?” when his mom drops him off, his mom says, “A lot, apparently.” Then the campers and counselors learn of the killer who is present and start freaking out. Fred’s age is a running joke throughout the movie, with one camper joking he’s too old to be there. The movie joins a long list ofhilarious slasher comedies likeBodies Bodies Bodies. It also has the fun nostalgic setting of a summer camp, which has shown up in countless horror movies such as the classicFriday the 13thfranchise, which has a TV adaptation calledCrystal Lakeon the way.
Wolfhard and Bryk co-wroteHell of a Summerand also star in the movieas Chris and Bobby. Other cast members include Susan Coyne, Julia Lalonde, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Matthew Finland, Abby Quinn, Pardis Saremi, Rosebud Baker, Krista Nazaire, Julia Doyle, and Daniel Gravelle.
Besidesfinishing his character arc as Mike WheelerinStranger Thingsseason 5, which will premiere in 2025on Netflix, Wolfhard starred in 2024’sGhostbusters: Frozen Empireand is also playing Pedro in the 2025 movieThe Legend of Ochi.
While Jason’s age is a joke among the campers inHell of a Summer, Wolfhard, who is 22 years old, toldEntertainment Weeklythatsome felt he was “young” to direct a film. He said:
“That’s what everyone said when we tried to get money for this movie. They’re like, ‘You’re a little young to be directing a movie.’ I’m like, ‘Yep.’ We’d like to let the film speak for itself. I don’t think age defines filmmaking in any way. I think everyone has stories to tell, and if you have the chance to do it, then do it.”
Hell of a Summeris just one exciting 2025 horror movie from Neon. Other releases include the Stephen King adaptations ofThe Life of Chuckfrom Mike FlanaganandOz Perkins’sThe Monkey, which are highly anticipated.Hell of a Summerwillbe in theaters April 18th, 2025and fans ofStranger Thingscan check out Wolfhard’s fun directorial debut.
