Cruel Summer
2021
Original language: English
- mystery
- drama
The story
Taking place over three summers - 1993, 1994, 1995 - in a small Texas town, a beautiful popular teen, Kate, is abducted and, seemingly unrelated, a girl, Jeanette, goes from being a sweet, awkward outlier to the most popular girl in town and, by ’95, the most despised person in America.
What it’s like
Hazy Texas heat, sun-bleached suburban streets, and crisp, saturated daylight that turns uneasy when the shadows get long, all set to a score of 1990s pop and tense, pulsing synth. The camera stays close on faces in kitchens, cars, and backyard pools, so the menace builds in glances and pauses rather than spectacle. Its vibe is sun-drenched unease, with a steady current of dread under the warmth. The pacing is brisk and twisty, with each summer moving in a new direction and the reveals arriving in rapid bursts. Its people are teenagers whose lives tilt into obsession, rumor, and self-protection, and the emotional register is bitter, unsettling, and often sad. Violence is sudden and fairly brief, with a few harsh moments, a kidnapping, and some sexual content between teens; there is more dread and cruelty than gore. It suits a late-night binge, a sticky summer evening, or a viewer who likes psychological mystery with a nostalgic period soundtrack, and it is less suited to anyone wanting something gentle.
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