Home Entertainment: ‘Summerland’ Digital Review

Directed by Lankyboy, a pseudonym for the directing duo of Kurtis David Harder and Noah Kentis, Summerland taps into the coming-of-age comedy dramas that once upon a time were all the rage. The teen movie really came into its own during the eighties thanks to all those John Hughes movies, with the nineties gifting the world additional classics including Clueless, Cruel Intentions and American Pie. The early noughties saw the trend continue, but eventually it fizzled out. Over the last ten or so years, you can practically count on one hand the amount of good films that fit into the same template. With Summerland however, Lankyboy has revived the stagnant genre, and proved that there is still life in it yet.

Not to be confused with the Gemma Arterton and Gugu Mbatha-Raw film of the same name, Summerland follows three teenagers as they embark on a road trip across the US on their way to attend a music festival. Our trio consists of Bray (Chris Ball), Oliver (Rory J Saper) and Stacey (Maddie Phillips). Bray has been talking online to a boy called Shawn (Dylan Playfair), a boy whom Bray believes to be a still-closeted gay man. Because of this, rather than risk scaring Shawn off, Bray has been catfishing him, posing as a girl called Victoria and using Stacey’s photographs for his profile. Oliver is British, Bray’s best friend, and Stacey’s boyfriend. Like Bray, he is hiding a secret from Stacey, one that will see the pair separated in the near future. Stacey is oblivious to what both are up to, and after agreeing to steal her step dad’s RV, joins the pair on their cross-country trip. Her attendance throws a massive spanner in the works for Bray though as he quickly works to craft a plan that will keep Shawn from Stacey until he can reveal his truth.

Summerland is a fun, energetic, and endearing blend of heart, comedy, and camaraderie that will speak to young and old alike. For the young, there will be the obvious parallels between the characters on screen and their own issues that will foster a connection. For those that are ever so slightly older, the films works as a nostalgia machine, perfectly encapsulating that endless summer magic that being a teenager is all about. It also offers a progressive approach by having our lead as being a gay teenager. There’s no way that this would have been allowed a few years back, but thankfully those dark days are (hopefully) all behind us. Summerland never gets bogged down with stereotypes, and instead plays against them. Bray isn’t the cookie-cutter, borderline offensive, gay character that has graced the media for decades. He is instead his own person, one who happens to like other men, but is not defined purely by his sexual preference. The issues that Bray is struggling with are not linked to him being gay, but to the fact that he has lied to a person that he cares deeply about, and he’s worried how that news will be taken. Oliver and Stacey are also more fleshed out than most characters found within films of this type. Again, both have their own demons and issues, and despite many of them being linked to their relationship, neither is defined solely by being together.

Much like Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused, Summerland has that effortlessly cool vibe that makes the viewer want to climb inside their TV set and join in with the fun. The cast all work well together and look like people that would actually hang out together, something that is overlooked in far too many films, not just teen movies. They are clearly all having a great time together and that infectious energy jumps off the screen and hooks you in. The traditional school or college setting all too often leads to distracting peripheral characters; here the road trip aspect plays nicely into the story and helps the audience remain focused on Bray, Oliver and Stacey. As invigorating as the road movie setting is, it does however, occasionally detract from the pace and impact of the story. With so many stop offs and new locations it becomes hard work out where exactly they are on their journey, especially if you’re not savvy on your US geography. This sensation never lasts for long though, and come the time they reach Summerland, you’ll have forgotten any niggles that you may have had.

Slickly-styled and effortlessly cool, Summerland taps into some of that old-school teen movie magic and is certain to leave you with a smile on your face. Just make sure to watch all the way through the credits as there’s a sting at the end that sets up what we hope might be a sequel.

Summerland is released on Digital HD from 14th September 2020.