{{short description|2018 film}} {{distinguish|Summer of 85}} {{use mdy dates|date=November 2022}} {{Infobox film | name = Summer of 84 | image = Summer of 84.png | alt = | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = François Simard{{Break}}Anouk Whissell{{Break}}Yoann-Karl Whissell | writer = {{plainlist| * Matt Leslie * Stephen J. Smith }} | producer = {{plainlist| * Shawn Williamson * Jameson Parker * Matt Leslie * Van Toffler * Cody Zwieg<ref name="var-rev">{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/summer-of-84-review-1202676368/|magazine=Variety|access-date=February 22, 2018|last=Harvey|first=Dennis|date=January 25, 2018|title=Sundance Film Review: 'Summer of '84'}}</ref> }} | starring = {{plainlist| * Graham Verchere * Judah Lewis * Caleb Emery * Cory Grüter-Andrew * Tiera Skovbye * Rich Sommer }} | cinematography = Jean-Philippe Bernier<ref name="var-rev"/> | editing = Austin Andrews<ref name="var-rev"/> | music = Le Matos<ref name="var-rev"/> | studio = {{plainlist| * Gunpowder & Sky * Brightlight Pictures }} | distributor = Gunpowder & Sky | released = {{film date|2018|1|22|Sundance|2018|8|10|United States}} | country = {{Plainlist| * Canada * United States<ref name="var-rev"/><ref name="sundance"/>}} | runtime = 105 minutes | language = English | budget = | gross = }} '''''Summer of 84''''' is a 2018 teen horror film directed by François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell and written by Matt Leslie and Stephen J. Smith. The film stars Graham Verchere, Judah Lewis, Caleb Emery, Cory Grüter-Andrew, Tiera Skovbye, and Rich Sommer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gunpowdersky.com/portfolios/summer-of-84|title=Summer of 84|publisher=Gunpowder & Sky|access-date=December 1, 2017}}</ref>
The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2018. It was given a limited theatrical release in the United States on August 10, 2018, by Gunpowder & Sky. It received positive reviews from critics, with many praising the performances, direction, acting, dark humor, and screenplay, with many calling it one of the best horror films of 2018.
==Plot== Over the decade leading up to the summer of 1984, a total of 13 teenage boys disappeared in Cape May, Oregon, but their disappearances have never been connected or solved.
As the summer begins, 15-year-old Davey Armstrong, who works a paper route in Ipswich, initially enjoys carefree diversion with his friends, Dale "Woody" Woodworth, Curtis Farraday, and Tommy "Eats" Eaton. They spend time on Eats' treehouse, which will be torn down by his belligerent father. They fantasize about Nikki, an attractive girl who used to be Davey's babysitter.
Davey suspects that his neighbor Wayne Mackey, a well-liked police officer in the community, is the Cape May Slayer. Because of Davey's fondness for conspiracy theories and urban legends, Davey's friends reject this theory.
When a boy Davey had seen inside Mackey's house goes missing, they agree to help him investigate. Meanwhile, Nikki visits with Davey, confiding that her parents are divorcing and she will be leaving the neighborhood.
Documenting Mackey's daily routine, the boys find many suspicious activities: Mackey regularly purchases gardening tools and bags of soil, brings a duffel bag to work every day, and goes on late-night jogs. One night, Davey is caught by Mackey while planting a walkie-talkie outside his window, and worries he is becoming suspicious.
While Mackey is away, the boys search his property. They present their findings, including a bloodstained T-shirt, supposedly belonging to the latest missing boy, to Davey's parents. To their dismay, his parents are outraged and call their investigation vandalism. Mr. Armstrong has the boys apologize to Mackey, and grounds Davey.
The next day, Mackey visits Davey's home and attempts to dissuade Davey's suspicion by claiming the boy who visited his home was his nephew, only for Davey to suspect him more. The following day, a suspect is arrested in the Cape May Slayer case, with Mackey the arresting officer. Disgusted, Davey makes plans to break into Mackey's home during the Cape May Festival. Farraday, who attends the festival as a lookout, discovers that the bags of soil were purchased for a city beautification project, and he and Eats abandon their posts.
Davey, Woody, and Nikki enter Mackey's home with Mr. Armstrong's video camera and explore a locked room in the basement, decorated to resemble Mackey's childhood room. In the bathroom, they find the missing boy's desiccated corpse in the bathtub, along with a still-alive recent abductee. They find a wall of framed photographs of the missing children. There is a photo of Davey's family, indicating Davey will be the next target. They present their footage to the Ipswich Police Department, who issue an APB on Mackey, marking him as a wanted criminal. Davey's parents apologize to their son for not believing him.
Mackey, secretly hiding in Davey's attic, abducts Davey and Woody in the middle of the night. He takes them to an offshore island for a sadistic game of manhunt. As Mackey pursues them, the boys flee into the wilderness but lose their footing on a corpse dump. Mackey slashes Davey's leg then proceeds to slit Woody's throat. He spares Davey, leaving him traumatized and constantly paranoid.
After a hospital stay, Davey returns to his morning paperboy route. He passes Woody's house, now foreclosed. Nikki waves goodbye to him as her custodial parent drives her away. He comes upon Eats and Farraday trashing the demolished treehouse, both of them avoiding his gaze. Eventually Davey passes Mackey's house, plastered with police tape. He unfurls a newspaper, the headline announcing the Cape May Slayer is still at large.
==Cast== {{Cast listing|<!-- Order and roles per closing credits scroll --> * Graham Verchere as Davey Armstrong * Judah Lewis as Tommy "Eats" Eaton * Caleb Emery as Dale "Woody" Woodworth * Cory Grüter-Andrew as Curtis Farraday * Tiera Skovbye as Nikki Kaszuba * Rich Sommer as Wayne Mackey * Jason Gray-Stanford as Randall Armstrong * Shauna Johannesen as Sheila Armstrong * William MacDonald as Sheriff Caldwell * Harrison Houde as Bobby Coker * Susie Castillo as Brenda Woodworth * J. Alex Brinson as Officer Cole * Mark Brandon as local news anchor <!-- Mark Brandon redirects to Mark E. Brandon, who is a law school professor and dean, almost certainly not the actor who appears in this movie --> }}
==Production== ===Writing and development=== In October 2021, screenwriters Matthew Leslie and Stephen J Smith appeared on The Ghost of Hollywood, where they would discuss their work on ''Summer of '84'' in detail, including that their script was already attached to RKSS in 2015, prior to the release of ''Stranger Things'', that there have never been plans for a film sequel, and that the budget for the film was approximately $1.5 million.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-10-04|title=Episode Thirteen|url=https://kboo.fm/media/105345-episode-thirteen|access-date=2021-12-07|publisher=KBOO}}</ref>
The script earned a place on the 2016 Blood List.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2016 BloodList, Including Fresh Blood Winners |url=https://www.bloodlist.com/the-lists/2016-bloodlist/ |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=Blood List}}</ref>
===Filming=== Principal photography took place during July 2017 in Vancouver.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/rich-sommer-tiera-skovbye-horror-movie-summer-of-84-1202493173/|title=Rich Sommer, Tiera Skovbye to Star in Horror Movie 'Summer of '84' (EXCLUSIVE)|last=McNary|first=Dave|date=July 12, 2017|magazine=Variety|access-date=December 1, 2017}}</ref> The film was shot using a Red camera with anamorphic lens.<ref>{{cite web|last=Salmons|first=Tim|url=https://thedigitalbits.com/item/summer-of-84-gs-2021-uhd-2|title=Summer of 84 (4K UHD Review)|website=The Digital Bits|date=December 22, 2021|access-date=November 12, 2022}}</ref>
==Release== ''Summer of 84'' premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2018.<ref name="sundance">{{cite web|url=http://www.sundance.org/projects/summer-of-84|title=Summer of '84|publisher=Sundance Film Festival|access-date=July 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190213000558/http://www.sundance.org/projects/summer-of-84|archive-date=February 13, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sundance.org/blogs/news/2018-sundance-film-festival--feature-films-announced|title=2018 Sundance Film Festival: Feature Films Announced|publisher=Sundance Film Festival|date=November 29, 2017|access-date=December 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119171758/https://www.sundance.org/blogs/news/2018-sundance-film-festival--feature-films-announced/|archive-date=January 19, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> The film was released by Gunpowder & Sky in the United States in select theaters on August 10, 2018, and on video on demand and Digital HD on August 24,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://comingsoon.net/movies/trailers/955455-a-serial-killer-is-on-the-loose-in-the-summer-of-84-trailer|title=A Serial Killer is on the Loose in the Summer of '84 Trailer|last=Hemmert|first=Kylie|date=June 29, 2018|website=ComingSoon.net|access-date=July 8, 2018}}</ref> followed by a streaming release on Shudder on October 25.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dailydead.com/shudders-october-2018-releases-include-summer-of-84-satans-slaves-and-tobe-hoopers-the-texas-chain-saw-massacre/|title=Shudder's October 2018 Releases Include SUMMER OF 84, SATAN'S SLAVES, and Tobe Hooper's THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE|last=Anderson|first=Derek|date=September 13, 2018|website=Daily Dead|access-date=January 1, 2019}}</ref> It had worldwide distribution deals.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/gunpowder-and-sky-scores-summer-of-84-sales-exclusive/5132320.article|title=Gunpowder & Sky Scores 'Summer Of 84' Sales (exclusive)|last=Kay|first=Jeremy|date=September 6, 2018|website=Screen Daily|access-date=January 1, 2019}}</ref>
==Reception== On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of {{RT data|score}} based on {{RT data|count}} reviews, with an average rating of {{RT data|average}}. The website's critics consensus reads, "''Summer of 84'' suffers from an overreliance on nostalgia for its titular decade, but a number of effective jolts may still satisfy genre enthusiasts."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/summer_of_84|title=Summer of 84|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}}</ref> Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 56 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://metacritic.com/movie/summer-of-84|title=Summer of 84|website=Metacritic|access-date=September 4, 2018}}</ref>
JoBlo.com's Movie Emporium called the ending "an inspired wrap-up" and scored it 8/10.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://joblo.com/movie-news/review-summer-of-84-230-02|title=Review: Summer of '84 (Sundance)|last=Bumbray|first=Chris|date=January 24, 2018|website=JoBlo.com|access-date=June 11, 2018}}</ref> Bloody Disgusting's Fred Topel said it "hit the sweet spot for me" and expressed a need to "talk about it excessively".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/reviews/3480290/sundance-review-summer-of-84-makes-grownup-scream-like-kid/|title=[Sundance Review] 'Summer of '84' Hits Nostalgia Sweet Spot|last=Topel|first=Fred|date=January 26, 2018|website=Bloody Disgusting|access-date=June 11, 2018}}</ref> ''Film Threat'' said it "lulled you into a false sense of security and banality before slamming you into a brilliantly dark chilling finale. You won't be disappointed."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://filmthreat.com/reviews/summer-of-84/|title=Summer of '84|last=Bench|first=Anthony Ray|date=January 27, 2018|website=Film Threat|access-date=June 11, 2018}}</ref> Daily Dead found "even though the story does take a bit too long to get things moving, that's really just me nitpicking at the greatness that is ''Summer of 84''."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dailydead.com/sundance-2018-review-summer-of-84-is-a-brutally-fun-and-heartbreaking-blast-from-the-past/|title=Sundance 2018 Review: SUMMER OF '84 is a Brutally Fun and Heartbreaking Blast from the Past|last=Wixon|first=Heather|date=January 28, 2018|work=Daily Dead|access-date=June 11, 2018}}</ref> ''PopMatters''{{'}} JR Kinnard said it was "a trashy classic that will absolutely rock midnight movie houses."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/sundance-2018-summer-of-84-eighth-grade-2528524768.html|title=Sundance 2018: 'Summer of '84' + 'Eighth Grade'|last=Kinnard|first=JR|date=January 25, 2018|website=PopMatters|access-date=June 11, 2018}}</ref>
''Variety'' found the film "neither funny nor scary enough to leave a lasting impression" and "more slowly paced than necessary, and those seeking horror content will find the payoff underwhelming after a protracted, mild buildup" and that "the leisurely progress isn't justified by any well-developed subplots, or by much suspense – there's never a doubt who the perp is, and apart from a couple of false-flag jump scares, little real peril surfaces until quite late."<ref name="var-rev"/> The review noted that it was unclear if the script by Matt Leslie and Stephen J. Smith was intended "to be played for satire, straight suspense, or a mixture of both."<ref name="var-rev"/>
The film won Best Screenplay for Matt Leslie and Stephen J. Smith at Cinepocalypse festival in Chicago.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3507492/captain-wins-best-film-music-boxs-cinepocalypse-fest-shatters-attendance-record/|title=The Captain wins "Best Film" at Music Box's Cinepocalypse, Fest Shatters Attendance Record!|last=Miska|first=Brad|date=June 29, 2018|website=Bloody Disgusting|access-date=July 8, 2018}}</ref>
It created buzz on the horror festival circuit in the United States and internationally, including featured or opening day screenings at Fantasia International Film Festival (Montreal)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/271221/summer-of-84-will-open-this-years-fantasia-international-film-festival/|title=Summer of '84 Will Open This Year's Fantasia International Film Festival|last=Sprague|first=Mike|date=April 11, 2018|website=Dread Central|access-date=January 1, 2019}}</ref> FrightFest (London),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.frightfest.co.uk/2018Films/summer-of-84.html|title=Frightfest Schedule Summer of 84|website=Frightfest.co.uk|access-date=January 1, 2019}}</ref> Sitges (Catalonia, Spain),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sitgesfilmfestival.com/eng/programa/pel_licules|title=Sitges Film Festival Program Summer of 84|website=Sitgesfilmfestival.com|access-date=January 1, 2019}}</ref> /Slash Filmfest (Austria),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://slashfilmfestival.com/en/films-2018/summer-of-84/|title=Slashfilmfestival schedule Summer of 84|access-date=January 1, 2019}}</ref> and Hard:Line Film Festival (Germany).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hardline-festival.de/programm-festival/|title=Hardline:filmfestival Programm Summer of 84|access-date=January 1, 2019}}</ref> It received Jury Prize nominations at Molins Film Festival for Best Director, Best Film, and Best Screenplay.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/event/ev0003545/2018/1/|title=Molins Film Festival (2018)|website=IMDb|access-date=2019-12-02}}</ref>
''Summer of 84'' was included on multiple published best-of-year lists with notable highlights: ''BuzzFeed News''{{'}} "The 19 Best Horror Films of 2018",<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/louispeitzman/best-horror-films-2018|title=The 19 Best Horror Films of 2018|last=Peitzman|first=Louis|date=December 27, 2018|website=BuzzFeed News|access-date=January 1, 2019}}</ref> ''LA Weekly''{{'s}} "The Ten Best Horror Movies of 2018",<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.laweekly.com/film/a-terrifying-year-the-ten-best-horror-movies-of-2018-10117866|title=The Ten Best Horror Movies of 2018|last=Callwood|first=Brett|date=January 2, 2019|newspaper=LA Weekly|access-date=January 2, 2019}}</ref> Thrillist's "The Best Horror Movies of 2018",<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/best-horror-movies-2018|title=The Best Horror Movies of 2018|last=Weinberg|first=Scott|date=December 31, 2018|website=Thrillist|access-date=January 1, 2019}}</ref> ''Esquire''{{'s}} "The Scariest Movies of 2018",<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/g18658612/best-horror-movies-2018/|title=The Scariest Horror Movies of 2018|date=October 25, 2018|work=Esquire|access-date=January 1, 2019}}</ref> Dread Central's "Josh Millican's Best Horror Movies of 2018",<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/editorials/286994/josh-millicans-best-horror-movies-of-2018/|title=Josh Millican's Best Horror Movies of 2018|last=Millican|first=Josh|date=December 27, 2018|website=Dread Central|access-date=January 1, 2019}}</ref> Horror News Network Top 18 Horror Films of 2018,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.horrornewsnetwork.net/top-18-horror-films-of-2018/|title=Top 18 Horror Films of 2018|last=Dwyer|first=Larry|date=January 7, 2019|website=Horror News Network|access-date=July 18, 2019}}</ref> The Ringer's "The 10 Best Horror Movies of 2018",<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theringer.com/movies/2018/12/10/18134253/best-horror-movies-2018-quiet-place-hereditary-halloween-mandy-overlord-unfriended-dark-web|title=The 10 Best Horror Movies of 2018|last=Fennessey|first=Sean|last2=Ryan|first2=Chris|date=December 10, 2018|website=The Ringer|access-date=January 1, 2019}}</ref> and PopHorror's "Top 25 Favorite Horror Movies of 2018" (8/25).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pophorror.com/pophorrors-top-25-favorite-horror-movies-of-2018/|title=PopHorror's Top 25 Favorite Horror Movies of 2018|last=Danielle|first=Tori|date=December 23, 2018|website=PopHorror|access-date=January 1, 2019}}</ref> It is listed as one of Rotten Tomatoes' "Best Horror Movies of 2018"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-horror-movies-2018-tomatometer/|title=Best Horror Movies of 2018 by Tomatometer|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=September 14, 2019}}</ref> and "140 Best 2010s Horror Movies".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-2010s-horror-movies/|title=The 140 Best 2010s Horror Movies|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=2019-12-02}}</ref>
Four years after its release, ''/Film'' suggests its dark tonal shift helps "distinguish itself from sundry other nostalgic horror rides".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Collins |first=Chad |date=2022-05-24 |title=Movies Like The IT Franchise You Should Watch Next |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/872838/movies-like-the-it-franchise-you-should-watch-next/ |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=/Film}}</ref>
''Summer of 84'' was horror streaming platform Shudder's second biggest film premiere of 2018, trailing only ''Mandy''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.inquisitr.com/5218385/shudder-reveals-their-biggest-movie-premiers-of-2018-and-their-most-polarizing/|title=Shudder Reveals Their Biggest Movie Premieres Of 2018, And Their Most Polarizing|last=McKinney|first=Alisha|date=December 20, 2018|website=Inquisitr|access-date=January 1, 2019}}</ref> It was nominated for a 2019 Saturn Award for Best Independent Film Release.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.horrornewsnetwork.net/top-18-horror-films-of-2018/|title=45th Saturn Awards Nominations: 'Avengers: Endgame' Leads with 14 Nods, 'Game of Thrones' Tops TV Category|last=Anderton|first=Ethan|date=July 16, 2019|website=/Film|access-date=July 18, 2019}}</ref> The film poster was included as one of Rotten Tomatoes' "24 Best Movie Posters of 2018".<ref>{{Cite web |title=24 Best Movie Posters of 2018 |url=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/gallery/2018-movie-posters/ |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=2022-08-08}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website}} * {{IMDb title}}
Category:2018 films Category:2018 horror films Category:2018 independent films Category:2018 American films Category:2010s buddy films Category:2018 Canadian films Category:2018 English-language films Category:2010s mystery horror films Category:2010s serial killer films Category:2010s teen horror films Category:American buddy horror films Category:American independent films Category:American mystery horror films Category:American serial killer films Category:American teen horror films Category:Brightlight Pictures films Category:Canadian independent films Category:Canadian mystery horror films Category:Canadian serial killer films Category:Canadian teen horror films Category:English-language buddy films Category:English-language Canadian films Category:English-language independent films Category:English-language mystery horror films Category:Films set in 1984 Category:Films set in Oregon Category:Films shot in Vancouver Category:Teen buddy films