Top 10 Things to Know about Finn Wolfhard's New Horror Movie

Finn Wolfhard is certainly no (ahem) stranger to the horror genre. Perhaps best known for his breakout performance as Mike Wheeler in “Stranger Things,” Wolfhard has become a fan favorite among fright-seeking audiences. It also helps that his resume includes roles in films the likes of “It” and “The Turning” – not to mention the latest offerings in the horror-tinged “Ghostbusters” franchise. Although he began acting at a young age and has since made a name for himself as a musician, Finn has also explored directing - most notably with the 2020 short film “Night Shifts.” “Hell of a Summer,” however, marks his feature-length directorial debut, sharing the duties with Billy Bryk[a]. Which brings us to…

Billy Bryk, Finn Wolfhard's co-director and writing partner, is a rising star in his own right. The Canadian actor has been a frequent collaborator with Wolfhard, having starred together in such films as Jesse Eisenberg’s “When You Finish Saving the World” and “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” -where Bryk played Zahk[b], one of the workers at Spinners. Their partnership represents a bold step into filmmaking, with both young artists sharing a vision for creating unique genre content. In this case, it’s all about giving a fresh voice to the slasher subgenre.

So, what exactly is “Hell of a Summer” all about? Well, the bloody slasher follows a group of summer camp counselors who find themselves facing unexpected terrors at Camp Pineway the night before campers arrive. At the center of the story is twenty-something-year-old counselor Jason Hochberg, who arrives thinking his biggest challenge will be connecting with his younger co-workers. However, he soon discovers a far more terrifying problem - a masked killer is on the loose, and worse, counselors are systematically being picked off one by one. With everyone blaming the deaths on Jason (his name surely doesn’t help), the group of teenagers must try to survive the night.

“Hell of a Summer” features an ensemble cast of rising young talents, including both directors in starring roles. Yep, Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk appear as Chris and Bobby, best friends who think this will be their summer to score with girls. Leading the cast as the “older” counselor, Jason, is Fred Hechinger[c], whose career has been rapidly gaining momentum - to say the least. Hechinger has recently starred in critically acclaimed films like “Thelma” as well as major blockbusters such as “Gladiator II” and “Kraven the Hunter.” He’s also taken on the horror genre, having appeared in Netflix’s “Fear Street” trilogy. Rounding out the cast is “Knock at the Cabin’s” Abby Quinn as the cool girl, “Reservation Dog’s” D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai[d] as the bad boy, Pardis Saremi as the mean girl, Matthew Finlan as the theatre kid, Julia Doyle as the hot vegan, and Krista Nazaire as the sweet girl - each bringing their unique energy to the project.

One of the major hurdles “Hell of a Summer” faced early on was securing the financing needed for the project. In speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Finn Wolfhard acknowledged that obtaining funding was challenging because many investors questioned his and co-director Billy Bryk’s young age. However, he never saw their youth as a disadvantage, believing that “storytelling isn’t defined by age.” While aware that they would likely make mistakes as first-time directors, Wolfhard says he embraced the learning experience - emphasizing teamwork and communication. In fact, he states that he gained more insight about filmmaking, leadership, and collaboration during “Hell of a Summer’s” production than at any other point in his life.

Speaking of production, filming for “Hell of a Summer” took place in Ontario, Canada over a three-week shoot, starting in July 2022 and wrapping in August of that year. Given its summer camp setting, much of the movie was naturally shot in wooded, outdoor locations - to best capture that classic slasher atmosphere. And, with things ready for editing come December, the post-production came in February 2023. Including the initial writing process, which started in 2019, it took four years for the project to fully come to life and ultimately be ready for audience consumption.

It’s safe to say that “Hell of a Summer” isn’t your standard slasher, seeing as how it blends its scares with laugh-out-loud humor. Our young directors, Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk, say they worked hard to ensure that neither the horror nor comedy elements overshadow each other. Their wish was to create a unique viewing experience that appeals to fans of both genres. Perhaps the tone can best be described as "Scream" meets "Wet Hot American Summer.” By both subverting classic genre tropes and paying tribute to beloved horror staples, “Hell of a Summer” delivers a contemporary perspective to a time-honored horror setting - the summer camp!

While “Hell of a Summer” definitely blends horror with comedy, don’t be fooled by the latter, the kills are very gruesome. With its brutal slasher premise, the movie earned an R rating for strong violence, gore, language, and mature themes. Yep, this isn’t one of those watered-down, PG-13 horror films. In fact, Finn Wolfhard made it clear from the get-go that he wanted the movie to fully embrace its horror elements - going all in with its R-rating. With that, fans of old-school slasher films can expect plenty of suspense, shocking moments, and, of course, a generous helping of blood.

Let’s face it, the list of summer camp-set horror films is a long one. And, while both Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk have cited classic 80s slashers like “Friday the 13th” and “Sleepaway Camp” as key influences, they’ve also pointed to self-aware fright flicks like “Scream” and “Evil Dead II” as further inspirations for “Hell of a Summer.” However, they credit the beloved horror/comedy “Shaun of the Dead” as having a major impact on the film. They say that Edgar Wright’s 2004 movie, where the aimless lives of roommates are hilariously disrupted by the zombie apocalypse, encouraged the film’s balance of character-driven storytelling and comedy, allowing characters to be “weird in the face of death.”

“Hell of a Summer” had its world premiere at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival in 2023 where it received attention for its blend of horror and comedy, with particular praise for Fred Hechinger’s lead performance. In such, it was named second runner-up for the People's Choice Award for TIFF’s “Midnight Madness.” The film has since been acquired for distribution by Neon, a company known for bringing critically acclaimed films to audiences, including “Parasite,” “Longlegs” and “Anora.” Through Neon, “Hell of a Summer’s” United States theatrical release is April 4, 2025.

Will you be watching “Hell of a Summer”? What’s your favorite Finn Wolfhard film? Let us know in the comments below.

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[c]HECKIN-jur https://youtu.be/0x-vELGB7MI?si=V_AaWBPEgS9SuRgP&t=310
[d]duh-PHARAOH WOONA-tye https://youtu.be/0x-vELGB7MI?si=zBCHq5gMl5f8qc7-&t=327
PAIR-dee suh-REMMY https://youtu.be/0x-vELGB7MI?si=DlODQc3vMNukAuKN&t=335
nuh-ZAIRE https://youtu.be/0x-vELGB7MI?si=T84IQ3R329Af_rav&t=368