Monster Summer: Movie Review

Cast: Mason Thames, Mel Gibson, Lorraine Bracco, Kevin James

Director: David henrie

There's very much a vibe of Amblin-esque family horror and Goosebumps style jumps in this unashamedly early teen-focussed movie.

In the summer vibes of Martha's Vineyard in the 1990s, Noah Reed (Thames) longs to be a journalist, following in the footsteps of his absent father. But when a couple of the local kids claim to have been abducted by a witch and reappear near comatose, Noah thinks he has his story.

Stumbling into the yard of former detective Gene Carruthers (a snappy and brusque but ultimately soft-hearted Mel Gibson), the pair team up in a spooky adventure to solve the case - and try and save the day.

There's a decent kernel of a film here, and while it's rare to get films like this that are so family-led in such cynical and blockbuster times, there's an overall feeling that Monster Summer never really quite seizes on its potential.

The teen cast are largely fine, and the likes of Gibson, Bracco and James provide solid support - even if Gibson's curmudgeon arc can be seen a mile off. But given some solid CGI work later on and some reasonable PG-led jump scares, the film feels of an era that it's trying to emulate, rather than one which seizes that area and does something new with it.

Ultimately, it leads to Monster Summer feeling more forgettable than frightening, an intriguing what could have been postnote to a film that may work for those children who are more innocent than forged on the likes of Stranger Things and for families who are looking for unspectacular and undemanding fare.