Written By Erin Doyle
The summer before college is always bittersweet. There is anticipation and excitement, coupled with stress, nerves, and the emotions of leaving your home and friends behind. The final moments of senior year and that summer after high school graduation have been the subject for a few awesome coming-of-age films: Dazed and Confused, Say Anything, Can’t Hardly Wait, etc. Netflix’s latest addition into the post-high school, rom-com world titled The Last Summer follows a group of recent graduates throughout their final moments before entering the next phase of their life.
The Last Summer has a rushed opening which quickly introduces its cast—the high school star-crossed lovers who are destined to break up (Halston Sage, Jacob Latimore); a sexist jock who’s obsessed with getting with as many girls as possible (Wolfgang Novogratz); a broken teenager trying to come to terms with being waitlisted (Sosie Bacon); two “nerds” who were completely ignored in high school hoping to get de-flowered by cougars (Jacob McCarthy, Mario Quinonez Jr.); the misunderstood hipster “cool girl” who’s focusing on her upcoming film (Maia Mitchell) but ignores the sweet musician (KJ Apa) who has been head over heels for her since 8th grade—it’s pretty basic and holds all the stereotypes of a 2019-style John Hughes film.
Because The Last Summer focuses on so many summers, it’s easy to lose track of the existence of certain characters until they return to your screen. The movie’s strongest plotlines follow Mitchell and Apa’s romance and the two nerds who finally get sold alcohol at the bar because they’re wearing suits, and McCarthy and Quinonez, who hands-down have the best story with their hysterical Superbad-like plot. This movie is filled with some good laughs and makes me wish I could go back to a time where everything was easier and all I had to worry about was “what am I going to wear tonight?” Although this movie hardly has any accurate representation of what a normal teenager is like, it’s entertaining.
Maia Mitchell’s performance is amazing and possibly carries the rest of the cast. If you can get past the questionable dialogue and cringy moments, The Last Summer works as a piece of nostalgia. It’s relatable, gets you in the mood for summer, and, in all honesty, it’s a breath of fresh air that a Netflix original finally chose someone other than Noah Centineo to take the lead. If you’re looking for a rom-com that is thought-provoking and heartbreaking, The Last Summer isn’t for you. However, if you’re looking for a light-hearted and warm movie about the internal dilemmas that teenagers face before the next chapter in their life; this is it.
