A staple of American cinema is the coming of age story – you know the one, often set in a small town, a moral tale of growing up and learning lessons. It’s the kind of tale that often resonates with an audience, with parallels to our own childhood in a town with its own myths and iconic figures. With an abundance of these tales, it’s hard to make them stand out. For his debut feature, Eijah Bynum attacks the genre with gusto, offering up familiar fare reinvigorated by a new energy.
It’s the summer of 1991. Three months from now Hurricane Bob will hit the East coast, smashing the town of Cape Cod. Daniel (Timothée Chalamet), sent to this resort town to live with his grandmother, finds himself in a social limbo, neither one of the locals nor one of the rich summer kids. He finds his niche when he does a favor for the town bad boy Hunter Strawberry (Alex Roe), a character in the area, notorious for many reasons including his selling of weed to the locals, putting him in the sights of local law enforcement. As the pair bond, Daniel brings his business acumen to help him scale-up from selling dime-bags for a little extra cash. Matters are complicated when he begins a romance with local dream-girl McKayla (Maika Monroe), who also happens to be Hunter’s sister. As Daniel’s operations expand, so too do his ambitions. As his greed and lies mount, everything he has built up is threatened.
There’s a line spoken towards the end of Hot Summer Nights by a drug dealer, played with aplomb by William Fichtner, “Life is too short they say, be happy.” It’s a mantra, or a piece of advice that young Daniel perhaps hears too late in a cautionary tale about losing sight of what’s really important. He’s a shrinking violet that through a random encounter with a local rogue picks up confidence and has his world opened up to him, but one in which he loses sight of what is genuine, rather than what thrills him. It’s a a film that charts the euphoric experience of youth and the encroaching doom that lies ahead, manifesting in the metaphor that is Hurricane Bob. As well as the picturesque East coast setting, the ‘90s era allows the film to draw from nostalgic elements. The sight of Street Fighter 2 at the arcade, or Terminator 2: Judgment Day playing at the drive in for example, is aided by a stonking soundtrack making great use of talents such as The Zombies, The Shangri-Las, Linda Ronstadt, and David Bowie.
In addition to the film looking rather slick, the assembled cast impress too, and have substance to match. Initially an awkward boy, his transition into a loved up teen burdened by his deceptions is impressively handled by Chalamet. The ‘James Dean-esque’ Hunter offers a breakout role for Alex Roe, who broods sexuality and danger, but tempers it with a genuine sadness. After being wasted during her sojourn into blockbuster fare, Maika Monroe makes a hell of a mark as McKayla, undeniably alluring and layering in depth as the film progresses. As siblings, they work in a lot of empathy to their relationship, both past and present. Thomas Jane’s role is seemingly one note as a gruff cop but again offers a surprise, effectively deployed as a foil to one of the leads in a moving encounter. Maia Mitchell brings an authentic sweetness as his daughter Amy, who also provides a love interest and something of a moral anchor for Hunter. It’s a role that can easily go unnoticed, or lost amongst the louder characters, but is crucial to the film’s balance. Another standout is Emory Cohen’s waffle eating drug dealer/enforcer and Fichtner’s aforementioned character. Each offers a convincing blend of quirkiness and threat. Portions of the film are narrated by a young child, whose relation to events becomes clear by the end. It does allow some flourish to the tale as the personal insights are often used to allow the film to go off on a little on a tangent, dropping amusing anecdotes and tidbits about the characters, or lore of the town. These are often snappy little additions that do much to add levity and flair.
The real thing to emerge from Hot Summer Nights is the burgeoning talents of director Elijah Bynum. It’s an assured debut, one inspired by stories he heard as a kid. With a flair for visuals, he draws fine performances from his cast to craft an engaging tale. At times there are jarring shifts in tone; likewise the ‘90s setting is a little muddled with aesthetics and music that seem to harken back to the ’50s, personally I liked these nods. However they do speak to a need for refinement and focus, but with so much to appreciate, not least an engrossing journey for these characters, it’s easy to overlook a few bumps on the way.
Hot Summer Nights is another entry to the coming of age genre, but one told with a bold flourish, starting with a youthful bang and transitioning into a brooding noir. Abetted by a superb cast, Elijah Bynam makes his mark as a a bold new voice in filmmaking, delivering a pulsating slice of Americana.
