31
Metascore
9 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 50Village VoiceRob StaegerVillage VoiceRob StaegerEventually succumbs to the weight of plot contrivance.
- 50New York PostSara StewartNew York PostSara StewartTeen house-arrest thriller Dark Summer gets out ahead of any ripping-off-“Disturbia” talk with an early Shia LaBeouf joke. But its sleepy, hallucinogenic aesthetic is an entirely different — and rather less engaging — style, anyway.
- 40New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierNew York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierAs an exercise in atmosphere, this claustrophobic creeper does a lot with a little, even if the movie winds up providing just superficial shivers.
- 40Time Out LondonTrevor JohnstonTime Out LondonTrevor JohnstonThis has its moments, but offers a significantly weaker call on your time.
- 38Slant MagazineEd GonzalezSlant MagazineEd GonzalezThe cacophony of visions, broken mirrors, and mutilations only points to the ghost in the machine respecting The Craft as its spirit animal.
- 30VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyWhile competently made, Dark Summer makes no effort to lend its characters any psychological complexity, or even much distinguishing personality. Nor are the proceedings very scary.
- 30The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThe Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckMaking the most of its low budget with its necessarily claustrophobic setting, the film displays a technical competence at least. But the rote performances and uninspired screenplay by Mike Le will inevitably consign Dark Summer to VOD viewing by undiscriminating consumers.
- 30The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisDespite Mr. Stormare’s valiant efforts, “Dark Summer” (directed by Paul Solet) feels listlessly plotted and insipidly performed.
- 20Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleLos Angeles TimesRobert AbeleThe true mistreatment is directed toward the moviegoer, who has to endure enough stale pseudo-shocks, empty atmospherics, explanatory mumbo-jumbo and personality-free acting that it's hard not to think of viewing Dark Summer as running-time served.