HOT SUMMER NIGHTS
US, 2017, 107 minutes, Colour.
Timothee Chalamet, Maika Monroe, Alex Roe, Emory Cohen, Thomas Jane, Maia Mitchell, William Fichtner.
Directed by Elijah Bynum.
A film with a target younger audience – or, perhaps, those in their mid-40s looking back to behaviour in the early 1990s.
The film is interesting to see because of Timothy Chalamet in an early role given his subsequent successful career. The cast consists of some up-and-coming actors as well as some veteran character actors like Thomas Jane and William Fichtner.
The film focuses on a rather timid teenager, Daniel, played by Chalamet. He clashes with his mother. He has very strong bond memories of his father who has died. This seems to set him on a different path from what he might have had. This is especially the case when he helps a local young drug dealer and conceals some drugs in a shop till from the police. The dealer, Hunter, Alex Roe, takes him under his wing. Daniel is clever and becomes more involved, experiences some drugs, with many suggestions about dealing, making contact with gangsters and doing deals. He also encounters Hunter’s sister, attracted to her, not telling Hunter and she not telling her brother.
This leads to a number of complications. Hunter and Daniel become strong friends. In the meantime he goes out with Hunter’s sister. There are various encounters with criminal types and successful deals. However, it does not last and there are shootouts. Also involved is the father of a young girl attracted to Hunter, a policeman played by Thomas Jane.
One of the strange aspects of the film is that there is a narration by younger teenager, not seen, but telling the story of Daniel and its consequences – with more than a touch of envy.
The setting also has a huge storm of the coast of Massachusetts and its eventually coming to land on the fateful night.
The screenplay has many references to similar films, spoiled young teenagers and their behaviour during the summer holidays, drug deals and gangsters, the complications of romances.
