Story
In Martha’s Vineyard, 1997, Noah (Mason Thames) and his friends, Sammy (Abby James Witherspoon), Eugene (Julain Lerner) and Ben (Noah Cottrell), are looking forward to a summer of fun. Things begin to turn bad, however, when kids start to go missing and then turn up in a zombie-like state. Noah lives with his widowed Mum Abby (Nora Zehetner) who runs a B&B on the island. Missing his father, Noah befriends a crusty retired police officer, Gene (Mel Gibson), and convinces him to look into what’s happening on the island as no-one else seems interested. Noah is convinced there’s a witch who’s causing all the trouble, while Gene thinks it’s a human monster. Together, they work to uncover who the real monster is that’s terrifying their town.
Themes
Horror; fantasy; missing children; witches; supernatural
Violence
Monster Summer has some violence. For example:
- A boy smashes through a window trying to escape a monster. He falls to the ground and a gun falls out of his bag.
- Two characters are swimming in the sea when one is dragged under the water by a powerful force. The other one goes to the rescue and he’s dragged under and taken away.
- Noah pushes a woman over on a stage, thinking she’s the witch.
- Gene grabs a man roughly by the hand and a verbal altercation erupts.
- The final scene is quite intense when the monster/witch approaches Noah with a huge cleaver and chases after him. Noah fights back but isn’t strong enough. A shooting then occurs, which causes the witch’s heart to flame. The witch then raises Noah up into the air by grabbing his throat, before the witch is shot again. A character goes flying across the room. The witch is shot many times, which causes flames to come out of its body. The house then starts to burn down and the fire spreads throughout the neighbourhood.
Sexual references
Monster Summer has some sexual references. For example:
- Mild flirting between a boy and a girl, including one ‘having the hots’ for the other.
- A teen girl seductively lures a boy into the woods.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
Monster Summer has some substance use. For example:
- An adult offers a boy a beer, then says he’s joking.
- A nurse asks a boy if he’s been smoking marijuana.
Nudity and sexual activity
There’s no nudity and sexual activity in Monster Summer.
Product placement
Monster Summer has some product placement. For example, Pepsi and Coca Cola.
Coarse language
Monster Summer has some coarse language.
Ideas to discuss with your children
Monster Summer is a fantasy, horror adventure movie that involves kids having to solve a mystery. The movie is quite scary and intense in places, with lots of screams and jumps, making it unsuitable for children under 10 years. For older children and teens as well as adults, it also has an intriguing story and good acting.
These are the main messages from Monster Summer:
- It’s important to try to find the truth, particularly if it will help others.
- Appearances can be deceptive.
Values in Monster Summer that you could reinforce with your children include courage, bravery, perseverance, teamwork, caring for others, and resilience.
Monster Summer could also give you the chance to talk with your children about real-life issues like the fact that everyone makes mistakes, and that mistakes help us learn and grow.