On Sept. 24, 2024, the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles was host for the worldwide premiere of the thriller Monster Summer, directed by multitalented Catholic David Henrie. He appears in the current film Reagan, and is the star and an executive producer of the upcoming Wizards Beyond Waverly Place on Disney+.
I was primarily motivated by the opportunity to play a solo game of Catholic Famous Person Bingo while at the event, as I am not much for horror movies. But Monster Summer is a bright combination of gripping suspense and insights about innocence, childhood, and healing.
What Is Monster Summer About?
Mason Thames (For All Mankind, The Black Phone, the upcoming How to Train Your Dragon) stars as Noah, a young boy who recently lost his father. All Noah wants is to be a journalist, but so far, his leads come mostly from crazy old ladies.
His luck changes when he pursues a story right into the backyard of the local Old Creepy Guy, Gene Carruthers (Mel Gibson). Gene’s family mysteriously disappeared a few years ago, which makes locals suspicious. But Noah discovers Gene is simply a (subtly Catholic) police detective quietly living out retirement.
Retirement gets put on the back burner, however, when Noah’s friend Ben suffers a mysterious ocean accident that leaves him silent and spiritless.
Local authorities write off the incident, but Noah talks to a young witness, who says that a cackling witch pulled Ben under.
Supported by crime-scene clues and an arsenal of fairytales suggesting that witches feed off children’s youth, Noah starts a witch hunt with his friends. But he doesn’t get very far until a second incident pulls Gene on board.
Also starring are Lorraine Bracco, Nora Zehetner, Kevin James, Abby James Witherspoon, Julian Lerner, and Noah Cottrell.
Fantasy Monsters vs. Real Monsters
Gene’s career was spent chasing down what he calls “real monsters”: people who prey on the innocent. He is unwilling to let further incidents happen without investigation.
As he and Noah piece together a string of related incidents across New England, their friendship deepens to become the father/son relationship they both lack.
While the Martha’s Vineyard in which Monster Summer is set has fairytale monsters, the primary theme of this movie is as Mel Gibson’s character says: the true monsters are evil people who prey on the innocent.
The monster’s effect on children is simple: they lose their interests and their enjoyment of life. Essentially, they lose their childhoods.
In our world where children lose their childhoods to everything from family trouble to screen addiction to —as hinted in Monster Summer — abuse, the value of a happy, innocent childhood speaks for itself.
The writers make this clear, but they also make an essential point: there is hope after tragedy, and healing. A child who loses his or her innocence can find new joy in life, even despite the effects of suffering.
As Noah points out to Gene, it is much better to be alive and living with the pain of a tragedy than not to be alive at all.
Should Families See Monster Summer?
Catholics will enjoy a couple of subtle inside jokes, and the movie holds universal appeal, for families with middle schoolers and above.
While the premise is lightweight, the themes become darker, and the climax of the movie is filled with suspense. It’s a PG-13 thriller with good jump scares and high-stakes action.
Catch Monster Summer in theaters, releasing on October 4th, 2024.
Image: Monster Summer/Pastime Pictures
Sophia Sariego is a Los Angeles native working in the pro-life movement. She loves Eucharistic Adoration, making music, and hitting the beaches in her spare time.
Recent posts:
'The Wild Robot': 4 Reasons Families Will Love This Instant Classic
Father Randy: 5 Movies About Saints That Touched Me
6 Classic Films for the Whole Family
‘The Rings of Power’ Season 2: Seeking Light Amidst Darkness & Disarray
Keep up with Family Theater Productions on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
