Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Hell of a Summer

The horror-comedy Hell of a Summer represents the directorial debut of actors Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk, and the callback to classic 1980s slasher movies contains a whodunit mystery about the idenтιтy of the masked killer mᴀssacring counselors at Camp Pineway. Originally premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2023, Hell of a Summer got a wide release by Neon on April 4th, 2025. Starring Wolfhard and Bryk along with Fred Hechinger (Gladiator II) an ensemble of relative newcomers, the campy slasher also features veteran Michael Costigan and Jason Bateman as producers.

Hell of a Summer centers around Hechinger’s Jason, a 24-year-old counselor who has had trouble letting go of the camp he loved attending for many years, and has ambitions of taking over management of it someday. The movie follows Jason and a collection of other counselors who are on a preparatory weekend for the upcoming summer, which naturally means their focus is on drinking, smoking, and hooking up, in one of the strongest homages to 80s slashers. The counselors begin to be slaughtered one-by-one by a mysterious killer who uses various kitchen blades and wears a devil mask.

Suspicions fall upon Jason, who is an outsider due to his age and awkwardness, and the other counselors subdue and tie him up believing that he’s the slasher. As they search for the phones that Jason confiscated as a method of team-building, they eventually run into the real killer, while Claire (Abby Quinn), a counselor who likes Jason, sets him free, and they escape to find help. Jason returns to the camp due to his misguided belief that he’s responsible for it and the other counselors, and eventually the killer’s idenтιтy is revealed as the counselors fight back.

The Real Idenтιтy Of The Devil Slasher

There Are Actually Two People Behind The Mask

Two of the devil slasher’s first victims were Demi, who was killed in her cabin, and Mike, who followed Miley into the kitchen. As it turned out, Demi and Mike were the slashers all along, each of whom had their own costume to conceal their idenтιтy. Mike and Demi worked together to set up the bloody scene in Demi’s room, with Demi staying in place for Jason to find her and throw the scent off her as the killer. It was likely Demi who killed and subsequently beheaded Miley, while Mike was probably the one who overpowered and killed Ari.

Why Demi And Mike Wanted To Kill Everyone

Their Motivations Are Incredibly Shallow

Hell of a Summer is largely intended to be a goofy, campy movie, and not actually a terrifying, hardcore slasher film; it’s borderline satire most of the time. As a result, the motivations driving Demi and Mike’s killing spree were as shallow as can be: they wanted to get famous. The benefits of being famous but jailed for the rest of their lives are never really explained, but it’s set up by Demi’s status as some sort of social media influencer; earlier in the movie, she’s seen posting what appears to be a live tutorial for her followers.

Mike’s motivations are somehow even shallower, as he appears to be simply going along with whatever Demi tells him to do. It’s pretty clear she’s the sH๏τ-caller of the operation, even if Mike agrees with her plan to get famous. Their plan pivots due to the circumstances, as they realize they could be even more famous (and, uh…not in jail) if they frame Jason as the killer and act as the brave survivors of his mᴀssacre. It’s a ridiculous reason to kill their fellow counselors, which is pretty much the point: it’s a good slasher that’s more comedy than horror.

How Hell Of A Summer Sets Up A Sequel

The Fallout Of The Movie’s Events Are Left Unexplored

The movie ends once Demi and Mike are dispatched, with Mike taking a pocket knife to the throat during his attempted murder of Bobby, and Demi catching an arrow to the eye and head stomp from Claire as she saves Jason. It’s an appropriately bloody end for the killers, and doesn’t leave any room for a continuation of their story. However, the movie’s events never progress past a final lakeside kiss between Jason and Claire, leaving possibilities in the unknown.

One of the core tropes of slasher movies in general is the concept of a copycat killer, which could certainly be the case with Hell of a Summer. Jason directly talks about the PR spin once the events of the night get out to the press, so it’s possible that the movie picks up with a copycat killer later that summer, or perhaps the following year once Jason has (probably) taken over management of the camp from the deceased John and Kathy. Chances are good this is a one-and-done movie, but enough groundwork was laid for a sequel.

What The Directors Have Said About The Ending Of Hell Of A Summer

Wolfhard And Bryk Have Discussed How Everything Came Together

In an interview with USA Today, Finn Wolfhard explained some of the perspective that went into writing Hell of a Summer, which certainly informs the movie’s ending. The killers are motivated by a desire to achieve fame, which Demi has already tasted as a social media influencer (although, there’s no telling how many followers she has). It’s a common desire plaguing the social media-obsessed young people of Gen Z, and there is some commentary on accurately reflecting the Gen Z experience within the script.

Part of the reason we wrote this movie is because as young actors, every script we get that’s centered around a contemporary teenage cast was a bit condescending and out of touch. Older writers are convinced that there’s a gigantic generational divide, and in a lot of ways there is. But at its core, Gen Z really is not different at all. What our age group appreciates is something that feels universal.

Many of the gags in the movie reflect Gen Z’s modern and ultra-progressive way of thinking, which is rare in contemporary filmmaking considering that most of Gen Z isn’t old enough to make major movies. Things like Ari’s nut allergy, Demi’s desire for fame, and even Chris’ desire to take care of Shannon’s needs before his own (in a reversal of the traditional dating rituals, as he explains) are reflective of Gen Z’s reality. Hell of a Summer shows that viewpoint through the lens of an old-school slasher, and the juxtaposition is where most of the humor is born.

The Real Meaning Of The Ending Of Hell Of A Summer

The Goofy Horror-Comedy Is Light On Profound Themes

There isn’t a ton of thematic depth aside from the reflection on Gen Z’s reality in Hell of a Summer, but it does address the notion of growing up. The perspective of Jason, a man who desperately needs to move on with his life, is a pretty clear metaphor for Wolfhard and Bryk’s own desire to take the next step, which is what they’ve done turning from child actors into writers and directors. Hell of a Summer may not be the scariest slasher, but it provides a fresh perspective as Gen Z comes into their own in the film industry.

Source: USA Today