'Hot Summer Nights' Avoids Being A Complete Hot Mess Thanks To Timothée Chalamet [Review]

Elijah Bynum’s directorial debut and A24 release, “Hot Summer Nights” is not a by-the-numbers coming of age story as an unlikely teenager winds up in a sticky situation dealing drugs to the locals in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Not the ideal way to cross the threshold into adulthood, but still—a right of passage nevertheless.

Navigating the space between self-expression and simply fitting in, “Hot Summer Nights” follows Daniel Middleton (Timothée Chalamet), a scrawny, inward-thinking and socially awkward young man struggling to escape the trappings of his teenage years. Oh, and he tells really corny jokes. Yep, so far, a cut and dry, middle-class coming-of-age storyline.

Forced by his mother to live with his aunt in Cape Cod during the summer of 1991, Daniel possesses a Nick Caraway-esque fascination with the town’s bad-boy, Hunter Strawberry (Alex Roe). With an image molded by folklore and numerous rumors, Hunter is the local marijuana supplier and heartthrob. While most everyone in town fears Strawberry, they still manage to reserve a level of respect for the living embodiment of the James Dean archetype. Desperate to find meaning in his life following the passing of his father, Daniel seeks out Hunter to gain the ins and outs of his drug-dealing business.

Soon, Daniel is Hunter’s dope-pushing accomplice and their little side-hustle burgeons into a mini drug empire. As their market expands, Daniel slowly sheds his former maladroit self and falls in love with the highly sought-after McKayla (Maika Monroe), Hunter’s sister, whom everyone except Daniel knows is a big no-no. Keeping their relationship hidden from Hunter until the time is right, Daniel’s influx of self-confidence causes him to get in over his head, resulting in a third act that is quite chaotic.

Welcome to adulthood Daniel…

Although the majority of this story proves to be quite nail-biting, the exhilarating third act suffers from an incredibly turbulent final 20 minutes. And while the impending carnage of Hurricane Bob (a plot device that just pops up out of nowhere) portends the spiraling moments of Daniel’s fate clearly, the escalation of events feels nauseatingly rushed, leading up to a random reassertion of an unreliable narrator a la “Virgin Suicides,” whose words only convolute. While we’re on the topic, the narration is ineffectual, unreliable even, especially considering the plot is told through the scope of rumors and brief encounters. Even though the third person omniscient point of view operates practically and humorously toward the film’s exposition, it unnecessarily amplifies the dramatics to an ending that already had its fair share.

If it has not been made clear by now, “Hot Summer Nights,” is a bit of a hot mess—it’s a mishmash of unnecessary elements, contrasting moods, and yes, even genres. Though it is by large, a journey of self-discovery, Elijah Bynum’s directorial debut is equally crime-thriller (or at least, tries to be). Unfortunately, mixing the coming-of-age beginnings with a final act crime-thriller results in an indie flick drowning in a pool of confusion, grasping at brief moments of drug-induced brilliance instead of the big picture.

Despite not being the most polished of debuts, Bynum’s project perspires a certain magic and mischief that ultimately subverts the need for a civilized display of growing up. With a blistering pace and cinematography, this film relishes in the fact that it is inharmonious. These risks (or blunders? You decide.) allow for an energy that’s both unwavering and audacious reminiscent to the far superior “Boogie Nights.” With an atmosphere that screams 105-degree heat on a late afternoon in July, each frame brims with an array of colors often associated with neon signs and carnival lights.

There may be hesitation to see “Hot Summer Nights,” due to my aforementioned issues with the film. But for those on the fence, allow for our Lord and Savior, Mr. Boy Wonder himself, Timothée Chalamet to change your mind.

Recalling “Adventureland’sJesse Eisenberg, Chalamet salvages Bynum’s debut endeavor from lukewarm territory by delivering yet another phenomenal performance. His quirks and tics, which made everyone fall head over heels for him in “Call Me By Your Name,” conveniently carry over here, which allow for him to dynamically play the part of a gawky teenager with complete believability, proving once more, that he is one of the premier emerging talents in Hollywood.

As mentioned earlier, this is no humdrum right of passage—”Hot Summer Nights” is unconventionally amusing, spits in the face of its own flaws and somehow manages to impress by atmospherically rendering the emotions tied to the trappings of young adulthood. At it’s best, “Hot Summer Nights” is an admirable attempt at summertime antics void of a happy ending. [C+]