Monster Summer (2024) Review

Monster Summer (2024) Review

When a great evil threatens a group of teens’ never-ending summer, they must band together with a grizzly detective in this 80s adventure throwback. When a mysterious force begins to disrupt their big summer fun, Noah and his friends team up with a retired police detective to embark on a monstrous adventure to save their island.

Starring Lorraine Bracco (THE SOPRANOS), Mel Gibson (BRAVEHEART), Mason Thames (THE BLACK PHONE), Kevin James (PAUL BLART: MALL COP), Nora Zehetner (THE RIGHT STUFF) and Abby James Witherspoon (HOT PURSUIT), Monster Summer is written by Bryan Schulz & Cornelius Uliano (THE PEANUTS MOVIE) and directed by David Henrie (THIS IS THIS YEAR).

Originally entitled BOYS OF SUMMER, MONSTER SUMMER plays out like a classic Eighties family movie. It has a whiff of THE GOONIES and THE MONSTER SQUAD about it, and a vibe that feels like it came straight out of Spielberg’s Amblin Studios. It makes for a pleasant surprise and is the perfect anecdote to those bloated Hollywood studio Christmas blockbusters poised for release that always spectacularly fail to hit the grade as decent entertainment.

Whilst perhaps lacking the budget of Spielberg’s family friendly, light-hearted action-adventure movies of the mid-Eighties, it makes up for any such limitations by boasting an excellent cast of youngsters and witnessing a return to form from Mel Gibson, who adds gravitas to his supporting role as a gnarly, grizzled neighbour whom the kids suspect of foul-play.

It’s by no means perfect – it could have been just that little bit scarier – but it does make for one of the more pleasant surprises that has been sent my way to review in a long while. Child-actor-turned-director David Henrie proves that he has the goods, and I look forward to seeing what he turns his hand to next.

Monster Summer is available on Digital Platforms 25 November. Distributed by Signature Entertainment