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Hell of a Summer

Hell of a Summer is a 2023 comedy horror film written and directed by Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 27, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

Hell of a Summer is a 2023 comedy horror film written and directed by Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk. The film stars Fred Hechinger, Abby Quinn, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Bryk, Wolfhard, Pardis Saremi, Rosebud Baker, and Adam Pally. It follows summer camp counsellors at Camp Pineway who are targeted by a masked killer.

Premise

The film follows a group of summer camp counsellors preparing for the season at Camp Pineway when a masked killer begins picking them off one by one. It uses horror-comedy and slasher conventions.

Production

Hell of a Summer was written and directed by Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk. It is their feature directorial debut, and they also appear in the cast.

Release

The film premiered at TIFF in 2023 and later received a theatrical release in 2025. Sources list the theatrical release date as 4 April 2025.

Reception

Coverage described the film as a slasher comedy and a genre homage, especially to 1980s camp and body-count films. Review sources noted its ensemble cast and comedic approach.

Key facts

  • The film is a summer-camp slasher comedy set at the fictional Camp Pineway.
  • Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk co-wrote and co-directed the film, making it their feature directorial debut.
  • The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023.
  • It was released theatrically in 2025 and has a runtime of 88 minutes.
  • The cast includes Fred Hechinger, Abby Quinn, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, and others.
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Canadian context

Finn Wolfhard is Canadian, making the film notable for a Canadian actor’s feature directorial debut alongside Billy Bryk.[1][7]

Frequently asked questions

What is Hell of a Summer about?
It is about summer camp counsellors at Camp Pineway who are stalked by a masked killer.
Who directed Hell of a Summer?
Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk co-directed the film.
When was Hell of a Summer released?
It premiered in 2023 and was released theatrically in 2025.
What genre is Hell of a Summer?
It is a comedy horror film, also described as a slasher comedy.
Who stars in Hell of a Summer?
The cast includes Fred Hechinger, Abby Quinn, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Billy Bryk, Finn Wolfhard, Pardis Saremi, Rosebud Baker, and Adam Pally.

References

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell_of_a_Summer
    Supports: Basic film metadata, premise, cast, and 2023 identification.
  2. Disney+ — https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-0fa098da-8186-4ae6-9fd6-792fb91203c6
    Supports: Runtime, genre, director credits, cast, and premise.
  3. Variety — https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/hell-of-a-summer-review-finn-wolfhard-billy-bryk-1236354342/
    Supports: Feature directorial debut, slasher-comedy framing, and TIFF acquisition context.
  4. RogerEbert.com — https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/hell-of-a-summer-finn-wolfhard-horror-movie-review-2025
    Supports: Genre description and thematic/tonal characterization.
  5. Rotten Tomatoes — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hell_of_a_summer
    Supports: Theatrical and streaming release dates, rating, and genre.
  6. The New York Times — https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/03/movies/hell-of-a-summer-review.html
    Supports: Runtime and rating information.
  7. Collider — https://collider.com/hell-of-a-summer-movie-review/
    Supports: TIFF premiere, cast details, and plot summary.