Finn Wolfhard’s New Slasher Horror Movie Proves That Gen Z Deserves A Place In Filmmaking

Let’s face it: Most of the executive positions in the film industry are helmed by, you guessed it, old white men. But what about the younger generation? Does Gen Z have what it takes to make a great movie? If a recent camp slasher film is any indication, hell yeah.

Hi, I’m a big fan of the slasher horror sub-genre. Nice to meet you. And in gobbling up the genre over the last few decades, especially those where the killer is only revealed in the very end, I’ve come to realize that there are very few of these movies coming out in recent years. Aside from this year’s Heart Eyes, there hasn’t been much from big studios. So when I saw a new entry in the genre, taking place at a summer camp just like slashers of the past (Friday the 13th and Sleepaway Camp, for example), I rushed to the theater. I’m happy to say it was worth it. And, surprise surprise, it was written by, directed by, and starring a Gen Z pair you might recognize. Today, we’re talking about the horror comedy, Hell of a Summer.

What is ‘Hell of a Summer’ about?

It’s a fresh summer and that means all the counselors are convening on their favorite place: Camp Pineway. The start of Counselor’s Week is going well, especially since the two people running the camp have left a note saying they’ll be back later. You know what that means: Debauchery in all the best ways.

But when camp counselors start turning up dead, the rest can’t help but blame Jason, the bearded guy who came back to camp way too old, even if he’s only 24-years-old. Will this group of Gen Z teens make it out alive, or will the mysterious killer ruin summer camp for good?

This is the brainchild of Gen Z filmmakers Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk.

So who are the Gen Z guys we can thank for this great slasher horror movie? It was written and directed by Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things) and Billy Bryk (Ghostbusters: Afterlife). Not only that, they have starring roles as Chris and Bobby, respectively. The pair became fast friends on the set of Ghostbusters: Afterlife and decided to make a movie of their own. Wolfhard told NPR:

One of the big reasons why we wrote the film was because we were kind of sick of seeing movies – when characters are put into dangerous situations, they kind of just become heroes randomly, and it doesn’t really feel like a part of their character. And so the idea behind these characters is just, what would you do in this situation? And would your insecurities and, you know, your sort of quirks go away? And the answer is no. They would actually probably be amplified in these moments of kind of stress or danger. And that’s where a lot of the comedy also comes.

Finn Wolfhard on NPR

And that’s very true. Rather than slashers of decades past, Hell of a Summer shows what young people would actually do when they find a dead body or when they’re trying to figure out who the killer is. It’s the fresh perspective we’ve needed.

Should you see Hell of a Summer?

If you love slasher movies or horror comedies, this one’s a no-brainer. Of course you should see Hell of a Summer. It’s a good entry into the genre and Wolfhard and Bryk do a great job bringing this decades-old story idea into the 2020s. Even if you might figure out who the killer is way early, which is a possibility, you’ll likely still have a good time doing it.

Watch Hell of a Summer in theaters now.