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Movie Review

Dark Summer (2025) Movie Review

Dark Summer is a formulaic film about two friends exploring drug dealing, facing familiar consequences without introducing anything new or impactful.

First Reaction – Dark Summer does everything by the book without breaking out from the typical style.

Where to Watch

On digital 1 September from Miracle Media.

Director: Conrad Craven

Writer: Conrad Craven (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Dion Jay
  • Antwan Smith (Killer Zaddy)
  • Darvinique Hawthorne
  • Nicholas James Wenzel
  • Emmanuel Edwards

Plot: Follow Jarvis and Tre’s journey through a treacherous drug deal testing their loyalties and forcing them to confront their fears. With intense action and shifting alliances the film explores the consequences of choices made under pressure.

Runtime: 1 Hour 45 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Dark Summer starts when two young men Jarvis (Jay) and Tre (Smith) decide to try their hand at drug dealing. However, it goes wrong, and they get tricked by a ruthless drug dealer. In their attempts to get their money back, things spiral out of control, and they unlock a bigger threat.

The friends must work together to make it out of the situation, but they have no idea how deep the trouble they got themselves into is. Can the young an innocent men learn before being discovered by the drug lord who wants answers.

Recap

The movie follows two young men who decide they want to make money quick by jumping into a life of crime. However, things spiral out of control and they must get out without being hurt or killed.

Best Parts

The idea of cause and affect is in play here and comes through strongly. We get good performances from the cast, showing the different environments the characters come from.

Worst Parts

The story doesn’t do anything we haven’t seen before and leaves us in the same situation as many others. It is more of the same, young men drawn to a drug world and the consequences cause major problems for them. We have seen it before and done better with a bigger impact on the message.

Final ThoughtsDark Summer is a by-the-book step into the drug world.

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Movie Review

Dark Summer (2015) Movie Review

Dark Summer (2015) Movie Review

DArk Summer

Director: Paul Solet

Writer: Mike Nguyen Le (Screenplay)

Starring: Keir Gilchrist, Stella Maeve, Maestro Harrell, Gracie Gillam, Peter Stormare

Plot: A 17-year-old is on house arrest for the summer while his mother is away on business. A horrifying incident occurs leaving an ominous presence in the house.

Runtime: 1 Hour 21 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Dark Summer starts as Daniel (Gilchrist) finds himself under house arrest, with no internet allowed after an incident involving a school friend Mona (Gillam). His friends Abby (Maeve) and Kevin (Harrell) do still visit him secretly, offering him the technology he needs to get through the day.

As Daniel spends his time alone, he starts getting an uneasy feeling around him, like he is being watch, believing Mona has returned from the grave to get revenge on Daniel.

Thoughts on Dark Summer

Dark Summer is a horror mystery that follows a teenager under house arrest. Who starts to believe he is being haunted by the spirit of the classmate who killed herself on front of him. This will get to mix Rear Window, while the story refers to Disturbia, with a haunted house movie. As the teenager can’t runaway or he will face prison time. This creates the trapped feeling, as well as taking away a chance to research. With the internet being taken away, with only the limited time of the visitors being able to help him.

The film relies on the nightmares in at night and it will leave you with a shocking ending. The performances are solid enough to make the horror work, though the urgency never feels strong enough to be coming out in the performance. This will end up being a solid enough horror, gets everything right and keeps us waiting for the shock ending.

Final Thoughts Dark Summer is everything needed for a simple shocking horror.