Get ready to take a nostalgic trip back to high school in The Kings of Summer. The indie dramedy tells the story of Joe (Nick Robinson), an awkward teenager dying to escape his pessimistic, widowed father (Nick Offerman). Once school is out for summer, Joe ditches his adult-managed life for a house built from scratch in a clearing in the wood. He’s joined by his best friend, Patrick (Gabriel Basso), who’s equally desperate to run away from his own nagging parents (Megan Mullally and Marc Evan Jackson). Also tagging along is Biaggio (Moises Arias), an eccentric fellow classmate.
Besides the occasional trip to Boston Market, the guys seem to adapt to life in the wild. Their days are spent hunting food, building fires, and cliff diving. But when Joe’s crush pays a visit to their new digs, she falls for Patrick, causing tension between the two best friends. Even deep in the wilderness, Joe is faced with the coming of age hardships every teenager goes through.
Written by Chris Galletta and directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, the script is whimsical and hysterical. Moises and Mullally bring on the laughs in their standout roles as the high school freak and the clueless mother, respectively. Kings of Summer will speak to anyone who remembers the embarrassing moments that shaped their teenage years.
Who Should See It: Anyone who loved reading Lord of the Flies in high school.
Who Shouldn’t See It: Anyone who happily still lives with their parents
Review by Jon Westfield
