The Kings of Summer Review

I don’t think I’ve disguised my thoughts about Booksmart being the best teen-movie of the century, but I haven’t mentioned yet how it stole the throne from my other favorite teen-movie: The Kings of Summer. And that makes sense, because they have a lot in common.

Here’s the scenario: Joe is a high school junior who’s sick of living at home. His mom passed and his dad is both cold and beyond fed-up with Joe’s choices. So when summer rolls around, Joe, his best friend Patrick, and wild card Biaggio run away from home to life their own lives in the woods. Comedy, heartache, and danger ensue.

I hesitate to say The Kings of Summer is “Booksmart but for guys,” because I think both movies are for absolutely everyone: they’re funny coming-of-age stories with great characters portrayed by terrific young actors. I do think, however that where Booksmart offers a compelling definition on what it means to be an adult for young women (assured, loyal, supportive, and adventurous on one’s own terms), Kings reckons with what young men think being a man is. Joe, Patrick, and Biaggio swear to live on their own merits and by according to nature… except when they steal food from their parents or buy it because hunting is hard and/or gross. They build their own enviable home to live secretly in the woods, but invite girls back to visit because, come on, of course they do.

I’m a sucker for a jerk protagonist being put in their place, and it’s only after Joe starts to lash out at the people around him that he actually has to confront some of his hypocrisies: learning real survival skills and getting over his own feelings for the good of others around him. It’s a lesson worth repeating: there’s no one way to be a man, but treating others with kindness and taking responsibility for one’s actions is a good place to start.

I will say that the only thing about the film that feels underdeveloped is the treatment of the female leads. Alison Brie plays Joe’s sister, Heather, who is only tangentially related to the film. She’s a buffer for Joe and his dad (played by Ron Swanson himself, Nick Offerman). Erin Moriarty from The Boys plays Joe’s crush Kelly, who does play a key role in the climax and comes across as thoughtful… but is also largely out of focus so that Joe and Patrick can lead the film while Biaggio gets the best lines. Compared to Booksmart’s treatment of Molly and Amy’s classmates, most with their own clear interests or small story arcs in the film, you can’t help but feel that a little more focus on Heather and Kelly could have helped bring out the best in the film.

That warning aside, the film does show a lot of heart and offers a pretty telling glimpse into the lives of boys on the verge of becoming men. It also perfectly captures that teenage nostalgia of doing something ridiculous with your friends just because you could. 4.5 summer homes out of 5.