Monster Summer (2024)

"Highly enjoyable horror adventure for all ages"

There's something strange going on in a small town on the island of Martha's Vineyard. Children are disappearing for a few hours and when they turn up again they seem to have been drained of all their youthful vitality. The disappearances have coincided with the arrival of black-clad Miss Halverson (Lorraine Braco) who rents a room from the mother of teenage Noah (Mason Thames). Soon Noah and his friends are convinced that she's a witch. But how to prove it? And what to do when they do? Can mysterious retired policeman Gene (Mel Gibson) help, or will he just make things worse?

MONSTER SUMMER is teenaged adventure horror done right. Director David Henrie exhibits the kind of lightness of touch, yet seriousness of approach that we used to see from Joe Dante, or even Steven Spielberg, with a confident and frequently inspired sense of visual storytelling that means you're never less than fully involved in the story.

The young leads are likeable and work well together, and while some films of this type can overdo the cultural references, dialogue mentioning NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD or THE TERMINATOR never feels forced. Mel Gibson as the retired policeman with a past is excellent, delivering a nuanced, touching and appealing performance, such that by the end when there's talk of vampires and werewolves you'll be wanting this disparate group to have another adventure. Surprisingly good. Here's a trailer:

MONSTER SUMMER is coming out from Signature Entertainment on Digital on Monday 25th November 2024