I saw Monster Summer

Monster Summer, directed by David Henri and scripted by Cornelius Uliano and Bryan Schulz, is a Bradbury-esque tale that serves a sweet splicing of The Monster Squad, The Sandlot, Goosebumps and  Frankenstein and Me, with (I'd argue) an underlying trace of Stranger Things. It presents a quartet of baseball-loving friends in 1997's Martha's Vineyard, during a phase that sprinkles darkness upon the spot's renown pleasantries. 

In this regard, when one of the youngsters falls victim to a serial, shape-shifting, soul-sucking witch (subsequently leaving the boy in a severe, autistic state), their leader, Mason Thames' Noah, an aspiring, investigative reporter, enlists Mel Gibson's Gene Carruthers to help with the case. Carruthers is a retired detective, with demons of his own, and is initially cynical of the boy's suspicions. Nevertheless, he comes to see the validity in Noah's claims, but when the two warn the town of the strange goings-on, they face ridicule, making their mission more arduous, by leaving the brunt of its resolution on their shoulders. 

As the Kolchak-like probing progresses, Carruthers becomes a father figure to Noah, guiding him through the ups and downs, not only in regard to the elusive (shown-in-the-margins) witch, but life in general. This strengthens their relationship, even as it hits a few snags along the line. Even so, their connection brings great warmth and believability to the story.

The supporting cast flavors their pursuit in a pleasant, understated way, and consists of Lorraine Bracco, Noah Cottrell, Julian Lerner, Abby James Witherspoon, Kevin James, Gary Weeks, Nora Zehetner, Lilah Pate, Bobbi Baker, Nico Triozzi, Spencer Fitzgerald and Gavin Bedell, with a special-guest appearance by The Sandlot's Patrick Renna. 

On the surface, Monster Summer may seem a product steered toward an adolescent audience, but its careful attentiveness to compassion and commitment create something superior to that, while proving that gruesome splatter and sex-ridden melodrama aren't necessary to tell a successful, terror tale. In fact, Monster Summer performs much like the horror pictures of the 1930s and 1940s, where good, old-fashioned characterization and subtle suspense make all the difference: a pretty nice category to be in, in my estimation.