Monster Summer 2024 Movie Review
In Monster Summer, something lurks in the dark on a small East Coast island, and Noah (Mason Thawes) and his friends are bound to face the threat head-on when one of their own falls victim. With the help of a shunned local hermit/retired police detective named Eugene (Mel Gibson), they may yet save their summer before it’s too late for all of them.
Directed by David Henrie (Wizards of Waverly Place), this “kids on bikes” Amblin-style adventure has enough nostalgic charm to get over its overall lack of ambition. Monster Summer spends most of its time with Noah and his friends investigating who is sucking the will out of the kids in the area than actual monster fighting. As enjoyable as the young cast is together, the lack of actual threats to face brings the excitement factor down – perhaps injecting some vibes more akin to the 80s cult classic The Monster Squad might have made a big difference.
There is just one evil creature stalking the town and it’s not revealed until very late – but to the film’s credit, it is a nifty twist. The story is heavy with red herrings, some way too obvious, some rather clever. Lorraine Bracco (The Sopranos) is suspect #1 when she strolls into town as the incidents begin to occur and she’s having a good time in her role’s limited capacity.
Mason Thames takes on a workman’s load as Noah, carrying the bulk of the story development along with being the throughline for the different character groups. He develops terrific chemistry with Gibson, who then takes over the screen in their scene together, giving young Thames a break.
While the film’s title isn’t the greatest choice and is a bit misleading, I can see what Henrie was going for with the decision. Gibson’s role as Eugene is more thoughtful than you might expect with a performance that’s surprisingly not phoned-in from the embattled actor. Monster Summer‘s title has a grim undertone when you understand it’s not as much about fairy-tale monsters. Although it was probably tempting, Eugene’s backstory is never upended by having it magically tie into what’s happening on the island, allowing the character to evolve with an endearing arc.
Part Stranger Things, part The Witches (1990), the film packs a nostalgic sheen but is missing just a little more of the adventure and the fantastic. Too often it can’t decide if it wants to commit to its premise or reign things back into something more real. In the end, Monster Summer is creepy without being gory, making it better suited for family viewing with young ones still not ready for the big spooky season scares, but with enough mood and monster to avoid being labeled for children.
