Monster Summer: reviews

What the critics say average 5.3 from 19 outlets

• 8.0 Common Sense MediaTara McNamara Scares not scars is the goal of director David Henrie's entertaining second directorial effort, a well-made adventure that gives preteens a fun fright that won't terrify them (or their parents). Read
• 7.5 Daily HeraldDann Gire Nonetheless, this visually slick indie production meets its modest aspirations as a fun, short, PG-13-rated, end-of-summer romp targeting a tweener demographic anxious for another “Goonies” knockoff. (...) Larry Blanford’s impressively strong wide-screen camera work elevates a perfunctory screenplay trafficking in clumsy exposition and deliberately misleading setups. Read
• 7.5 The Detroit NewsAdam Graham Director David Henrie grew up in the pre-smartphone, pre-social media '90s, and his fondness for the era comes across on screen. "Monster Summer" captures a wholesome sense of wonder, and it depicts that time in life between childhood and adulthood when the world is both too big and too small at the same time. Read
• 7.0 VarietyDennis Harvey It’s a fun movie that lands on the right side of “innocuous,” being pleasantly formulaic rather than simply bland. Read
• 6.3 Roger EbertClint Worthington (...) it feels like a stopgap kids’ adventure for those tots still waiting for the last season of Netflix’s blockbuster show to air, which is both its blessing and its curse. It won’t exactly hold you under its spell, but it might charm just enough for the sparse 90 minutes of attention it requests. Read
• 6.0 The GuardianCatherine Bray There are some decent PG-rated thrills and scares for the preteen audience, but adults are unlikely to find it especially convincing, with clunky dialogue and a generic score letting down a solidly traditional spooky mystery. One bright spot is young star Mason Thames, also excellent in Ethan Hawke horror The Black Phone. Read
• 6.0 DeciderJohnny Loftus For a kid who likes the idea of horror movies but probably isn’t ready for the real thing, Monster Summer feels like a Stream It. It could function like a quick school’s out read. But for the rest of us, the predictability of this Summer probably outweighs its hints of scary mystery. Read
• 6.0 Radio TimesDave Golder It doesn't exactly redefine the genre, but it benefits from a spirited performance from Gibson, who delivers above and beyond, and Thames is very good as Noah. Safe, cosy, undemanding thrills for family friendly viewing. Read
• 6.0 FandomWireM.N. Miller While the new adventure horror film Monster Summer is an homage to Goosebumps and Stranger Things, it targets a younger demographic and offers good, frightening family fun! Read
• 6.0 JoBloTyler Nichols Had they just made it Mel Gibson and Mason Thames solving this mystery, it would have been much more interesting. As is, the “Goonies” part of the story is the worst part, while the buddy cop portion is miles better. This makes for a very uneven experience that I just can’t recommend outside of Gibson. Read
• 5.5 FilmInkCain Noble-Davies (...) an adequate attempt at Stephen King pastiche (...) The story itself has its twee moments, but the production values keep it on the right side of spoopy. Read
• 4.0 ColliderAidan Kelley The lure of some solid '90s nostalgia should be good enough bait for a compelling story, but unfortunately, the only thing that Monster Summer reels in is a story that we've all heard a hundred times before. Read
• 4.0 The AU ReviewPeter Gray There’s moments of promise here, but Monster Summer is more a story that tells you it’s bathing in the nostalgic rather than actually simmering in such. Read
• 4.0 The AgeJake Wilson A lightweight horror-fantasy aimed in theory at young teens, Monster Summer could be described as a cut-price Stranger Things – and it certainly is strange in a number of ways. Read
• 4.0 Next Best PictureCody Dericks “Monster Summer” should’ve been an easy pitch to an audience all too happy to look back at their childhood, but it fails to recapture that warm feeling of the past. It seems satisfied to merely tell the audience, “This is a throwback,” and hopefully that will suffice, rather than actually putting any sort of nostalgic energy into any part of the film itself. Read
• 4.0 CinemalogueTodd Jorgenson Trying to mix kid-appropriate frights with nostalgia for adults, this lightweight horror trifle from director David Henrie ( This Is the Year) is overall formulaic and forgettable. Read
• 3.8 The Movie CricketSean P. Means The supernatural thriller “Monster Summer” feels like one of those movies the Disney Channel (now, I suppose, Disney+) would release every October — a blockheaded kid-centered scary story, one where 12-year-olds race around on their bikes either toward or away from something menacing and creepy.
• 3.0 Culture MixCarla Hay Corny to a fault, “Monster Summer” is a lightweight horror movie about a group of teens and an ex-cop trying to solve a supernatural mystery involving a witch. Amateurish acting and a weak screenplay lower the quality of the film. Read
• 2.5 Movie NationRoger Moore Good production values and a solid supporting cast don’t hide the fact that it’s a tepid thriller that barely works up a decent fright or two. Read