a review of 八四年夏天

Summer of 84 adds to a range of trend-following productions trying to recapture 1980s film stereotypes featuring boys on BMX bikes who unravel a mystery, in the style of Steven Spielberg and Stephen King films. It's obvious these films and series are targeted at the generations that have consciously experienced the 1980s, as the films and series are filled with remarks about 1980s pop culture that will mean nothing to a younger audience. The It remake is an example of a failed attempt in this area, and I'm allergic to the Stranger Things hype. I thought Summer of 84 was reasonably entertaining though, with some obvious winks to the classic Fright Night (1985). The kids weren't as annoying as the Stranger Things kids, and the 1980s atmosphere was well-captured. I did think the ending pushed the film into an identity crisis. The whole film felt like a nostalgic 1980s family flick, until the final scenes arrived.