Scream for Summer is a 2017 slasher film from writer and director Cheyenne Gordon and companies Studio 605, Jonestown Films, and Concept Media. Gordon also stars in the film, along with Mary Watters (The Wicked One), Tyler Riley (Campground: The Requel), Sonya Delormier (The Wicked One), and Alicia M. Clark (Kill, Granny, Kill!).
The film takes place in Geneva, Ohio as a group of friends celebrate the end of school by partying and hanging out by the lake. The fun is ruined when a masked killer starts murdering the friends and those around them in brutal ways. If ’90s slasher films such as Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer immediately come to mind, it is no coincidence. As Gordon’s directorial debut, he intended for Scream for Summer to be a love letter to the slasher/whodunnit films of the ’90s, and that is felt throughout the entire film.
Related Article: The Halloween (2018) Movie Trivia Quiz
The villains in slashers always have a memorable look or mask, and Scream for Summer checked off that box. The mask the killer wore was custom-made for the film, and it looked great. The kills, as I mentioned, were pretty wicked and the special effects were on-point and effective. While the action, kills, and mystery were all pretty entertaining, the drama side of the film did not quite deliver as well.
There are a couple of storylines involving the central characters dealing with relationships and heartbreak. Instead of letting us focus more on the main character, Samantha (Watters), the film dives into drama between Samantha’s sister, Danielle (Delormier), and her ex-boyfriend, who also happens to be a police officer, Matt (Gordon). It threw off the pacing of the film and, essentially, just gave us a drawn-out side story that didn’t enhance the film in any way.
That being said, the performances from the main actors, specifically Watters and Gordon, were solid. The killer-revealing climax was great and had a nice twist, as well. Overall, Scream for Summer is a solid indie horror flick that, despite any flaws, is an entertaining watch. Especially for fans of ’90s slashers.
You can pick up a copy of Scream for Summer from the Concept Media online store.
Related Article: 13 Must-See Horror Movies Releasing in 2019
