The Last Summer Review: A Rom-Com With a Memorable Cast But Underwhelming Characters
This review contains spoilers for the Netflix Original Movie The Last Summer.
Netflix’s The Last Summer promises its cast of plucky teens one last hurrah before college, but unfortunately, this is one summer we’ll be quick to forget.
The Last Summer follows a group of teens through their last summer before college as they come to terms with the commitments they are making to future careers and the pressures of committing to past relationships. The film tackles the harsh yet hopeful transition from adolescence to adulthood and the teenage freedom of self-discovery.
This movie is jam-packed with familiar faces from all your favourite teen TV hits, including K.J. Apa (Riverdale), Maia Mitchell (The Fosters, Good Trouble), Tyler Posey (Teen Wolf), and Sosie Bacon (13 Reasons Why).
The Last Summer isn’t necessarily a bad film, but it’s not exactly great either.
The Netflix original is far from original with a plot that feels like a choppy cut and paste of all the different rom-com cliches we’ve already subjected ourselves to over the years.
The characters are closed into their respected boxes and rarely break from the all too common teenage stereotypes written by people that don’t quite remember what it was like to be an actual teen. Seeing these films continue to try and capture the right teenage text lingo only to fail horribly every time continues to be a laughable experience.
Netflix’s newest romantic comedy brings nothing exciting or new to the genre and thus fails to make an impression that can be as memorable as the wild summer this movie is trying so desperately to convey.
If you are yearning for those summer days where the sun is warm on your face and the cool water is lapping at your feet than this movie will easily transport you to a glowing Chicago overcome by warm summer festivities to enjoy.
Unfortunately, what we do get to see of these authentic Chicago spots is not enough to hide the ugly flaws that this film’s characters so proudly insist on displaying.
It’s very difficult to enjoy this journey of self-discovery and new found freedom when these characters are constantly spoiling their own fun. Instead of a wild and free summer, we are subjected to a lot more worrying and analyzing than what is appropriate for a seasonal romance flick.
The Last Summer tries to take itself too seriously for a film that has such a large cast it’s nearly impossible to flesh any of them out enough to care — and that’s unfortunate.
On the bright side, this large cast of Hollywood up-and-comers provides some much-needed rom-com eye candy and enough adorableness to have you asking “why can’t I live in a romantic comedy” in it’s more swoon-worthy moments.
K.J. Apa’s Griffin is enduring, handsome, and has a cool eccentric name — the perfect combination for any movie of this genre. And his romantic counter-part Phoebe, a no-nonsense and eclectic film student hopeful played by Maia Mitchell, isn’t one to shy away from having a good time.
While most of their story is unfortunately overshadowed by a dark cloud of secret parental affairs and a ridiculous pact to stay friends, there are several moments worth mentioning.
Griffin’s break down on public transit after taking his flirty texting with Phoebe into the cringe-worthy territory is kind of over the top but provides us with a few good laughs. Then there’s their slow-motion wing eating montage, a questionable addition to this movie’s plot but a fun one to watch none-the-less.
By far the weirdest and most out of place storyline of The Last Summer goes to characters Chad and Reece.
Their ridiculous plot to leave their nerdy personas behind and find acceptance in adulthood by parading around in suits at a bar feels more like the plot to Superbad than it does a romantic comedy.
Regardless, their ruse leads to some rather enjoyable shenanigans as they fool a bar into serving them and two twenty-six-year-olds into dating them. It’s a hilarious heist of a tale and by far the most captivating story this film has to offer.
Although one has to wonder why so many newly turned eighteen-year-olds hook up with much older woman during this film. Is Chicago’s teen dating pool really that small?
The budding relationship between Halston Sage’s Erin and Tyler Posey’s Ricky, a pro-baseball player for the Chicago Cubs, hinges much more on fantasy than reality. But sometimes we need a little of that in romantic comedies if we are going to envy these characters.
And envy we do as Erin is swept up in Ricky’s world. The two share some cute moments to the gorgeous backdrop of vintage diners, old trucks, and the infamous Wrigley Field’s center-field scoreboard.
It seems too easy to get swept up in their story and unfortunately before any real development can happen Erin finds out Ricky is still seeing his ex. So, she runs back to her romance with high school boyfriend, Alec — a relationship that never gave the audience much to root for anyway.
The Last Summer attempts to channel the same energy as movies like Valentine’s Day and Love Actually, but with stories that find no way to relate to each other and characters that find no way to relate to their given demographics, this original movie fails to make a mark on the seasonal romance genre.
With the success of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Set It Up, and Someone Great it’s clear this streaming service is capable of doing so much better — and yet The Last Summer just doesn’t.
At the end of the day, a cast packed with talented teen actors is not enough to stop Netflix’s newest attempt at cornering the rom-com market from falling short of all the successful attempts that came before it!
Other Thoughts About The Last Summer:
- I want to know how these teens have access to all these amazing upscale party locations.
- If a girl isn’t wearing a beret or a limousine driver hat, is she even really a film student?
- Paige’s decision to choose between a new car or double-D breast implants is by far the most riveting storyline to follow.
- I love how K.J. Apa’s hair colour is just as much a character as he is.
- Can more teen rom-com characters have jobs because financial stability is seriously hot!
- Tyler Posey is playing for the Chicago Cubs — you just know bestie and die-hard Mets fan Dylan O’Brien is turning over in his grave right now.
–
What did you think of The Last Summer? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Alicia Gilstorf
Alicia is a Rotten Tomatoes Certified Critic and a Critics Choice Association member. She credits her passion for TV to workplace sitcoms, paranormal dramedies, and coming-of-age stories. In her free time, Alicia loves to curl up with a good book and lose herself in a cozy game. Keep a lookout for her coverage of Ghosts. You can also find her work on Eulalie Magazine and Cool Girl Critiques. Follow Alicia on social media: @aliciagilstorf
One thought on “The Last Summer Review: A Rom-Com With a Memorable Cast But Underwhelming Characters”
I actually thought that Sosie Bacon’s character was the black horse of the film. She was the relatable one in the sense that everyone wants to be someone after highschool. But then life happens and a series of unexpected things whirl in to destroy our hopes and dreams which then leaves us to choose to continue fighting or just settle for whatever it is that life serves us.
Comments are closed.