Hot Summer Nights

"One summer can change everything."

2018 1h 47m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 844

DramaCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In 1991, a sheltered teenager comes of age during a wild summer on Cape Cod, getting rich from selling pot to gangsters, falling in love for the first time, partying, and eventually realizing that he's in way over his head.

“One summer can change everything.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Timothée Chalamet
Daniel Middleton
Maika Monroe
McKayla Strawberry
Alex Roe
Hunter Strawberry
Maia Mitchell
Amy Calhoun
Thomas Jane
Sergeant Calhoun
Emory Cohen
Dex
William Fichtner
Shep
Jack Kesy
Ponytail

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Elijah Bynum
Writers: Elijah Bynum
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 8 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Elijah Bynum, shot by Javier Julia. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Will Bates. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Editor Jeff Castelluccio shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Timothée Chalamet and Maika Monroe and Alex Roe carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "One summer can change everything.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt3416536 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Elijah Bynum directs. Javier Julia behind the camera. Will Bates scores. Jeff Castelluccio cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 8 years ago.
2Directed by Elijah Bynum, shot by Javier Julia. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Will Bates. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Jeff Castelluccio shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Timothée Chalamet and Maika Monroe and Alex Roe carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "One summer can change everything.".
7IMDB entry: tt3416536 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 12 themes, including "drug dealer", "summer residence", "massachusetts", "coming of age".

The technical file

Cinematography: Javier Julia
Original score: Will Bates
Editing: Jeff Castelluccio
Production design: Kay Lee
Costume design: Carol Cutshall
Makeup / hair: Micah Laine
VFX supervisor: Chris Wells
Sound: Craig Mann
Stunt coordinator: Jennifer Badger
Runtime: 107 min · 1h 47m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $246,133
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Hot Summer Nights (2018)

Also by

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Jacob2018-07-17
★ 8/10
(79/100) There should be more films made that take place in the 90s. And they should all star Timothee Chalamet and Maika Monroe. They're electrifying in Hot Summer Nights. This film is a bit of a mess at first, tonally jarring, and feels like Scorsese/P.T.Anderson-lite at times. But if you're going to borrow, borrow from the greats. It has a great soundtrack and is surprisingly dark by the end, ending on a note both mysterious and melancholic. It's these surprising elements and a bit of depth that makes Hot Summer Nights a pleasant summer diversion. There would be no film, however, without the magnetic chemistry and charming performances by Chalamet and Monroe. Kudos should also go to the soundtrack.
Nathan2023-01-06
★ 7/10
Timothée Chalamet and Maika Monroe carry this film, there chemistry is top notch, and their relationship progression is infectious. The story is far-fetched and over the top, I have a hard time believing a high school kid can create a weed empire over the course of a couple months. And what was he supposed to do when he had to return to his moms after the summer? Despite the story's flaws, this movie was incredibly enjoyable with excellent performances by our two leads, plenty of laughs, cut romantic quirks, and some downright scary scenes. Score: 68% Verdict: Good
CinemaSerf2025-02-17
★ 6/10
“Daniel” (Timothée Chalamet) is a quiet teenager who spends much of his time people watching the folks who summer on Cape Cod. His encounter with “Hunter” (Alex Roe) injects a little more fun to life when he is recruited to start selling them weed. It turns out to be quite a lucrative little venture, and soon the pair scale it up and begin to make some decent cash. This attracts them to local dealer “Dex” (Emory Cohen) and next thing the young “Daniel” has a shiny red sports car. He’d also like a girlfriend, but it transpires that the gal of his dreams “MyKayla” (Maika Monroe) is the estranged sister of his business partner and that means she’s a no-go area. Well, in theory anyway. With hormones raging and the money rolling in, it can only get better for the pair? Well the problem with success is that it’s just as addictive as that which they are peddling to their punters, and so when “Daniel” takes a next step into something altogether more toxic, he risks all. There’s nothing at all memorable about this coming-of-age story and were it not for the fact that Timmie is amongst an otherwise very ordinary cast, I doubt anyone would give it house room. What starts as a mischievous arrangement selling pot to posh boys whilst having a bit of nookie on the side becomes increasingly far-fetched, violent and blandly scripted. It’s set against the backdrop of a looming category 4 storm but sadly that doesn’t come anywhere near quickly enough to liven up this dimly lit and pedestrian story of brotherhood/sisterhood/neighbourhood that’s instantly forgettable. Sorry.