Friday Flicks: Hot Summer Nights

The summertime dramatic comedy, Hot Summer Nights was predicted to be the indie movie of summer 2018. Produced by A24 and starring teenage heart throb Timothée Chalamet, many looked forward to the film becoming the next summertime classic, a la Dazed and Confused. The film had it all: romance, summer fun, and a drug empire. So why did it flop? This Friday, I watch and investigate.

Acting: 7/10

Chalamet delivers a great performance of a deeply troubled teen lashing out, but what this movie needed was an arrogant punk who didn't care about consequences. We needed a jerk we love to hate as a contrast to Alex Roe's archetypal misunderstood bad boy . Though Roe and Chalamet have a great on-screen friendship, the two characters Hunter and Daniel come off more as two fumbling idiots blindly walking towards their doom, not the cool legends the young narrator describes them to be.

+2 Bonus Points for Alex Roe and Mia Mitchell's chemistry. They're so adorable together you'll find yourself rooting for them over the main couple.

Costuming: 5/10

None of the costumes in this movie are overwhelmingly nostalgic, with the exception of Amy's scrunchy collection or Daniel's striped shirt. For the most part, all of the 90s pieces they wear could be found at Forever 21. However they do get some points since they've given me a ton of summer outfit inspiration.

Set Design: 9/10

Despite living in a small town and hating it, I've always loved the way small towns are depicted in movies. The small Massachusetts town the characters call home is no different. The Drive-in theater, pharmacy, diners, and various house parties are what give the movie it's soul and youthful flair. The beautiful Massachusetts scenery combined with the neon lights of ferris wheels and buzzing diner signs make for some truly beautiful shots.

Soundtrack: 10/10

This movie is no Oscar contender, but its one big saving grace is its soundtrack. Bowie, Linda Ronstadt, and The Shangri-Las are just some of the artists utilized in this diverse yet perfectly cohesive collection. Many times throughout the film, its the music that provides the emotion when the script falls short. I know I'll be rocking out to this soundtrack for a while.

Final Score: 7.75/10

Hot Summer Nights is not a bad movie. It's entertaining and fun, and in the parts where it's not, Alex Roe and Timothée Chalamet are cute enough to hold your attention until the story picks up again. Bynum has obviously bitten off more than he could chew with this project, but for a directorial debut, this movie is far from a failure. I, for one, look forward to seeing what Elijah Bynum will do in the next few years as he perfects his trade.