By Zachary Klein
Best Summer Ever comes from an honest place. Co-Directors Michael Parks Randa and Lauren Smitelli have a history with Zeno Mountain Farm, the camp where some of the film was shot. A brief glimpse at the website for the farm reveals the film to be a community effort – familiar faces pop up everywhere, from the film’s antagonist played by Madeline Rhodes to the main star Shannon DeVido. The energy comes through in the film itself. Is it schmaltzy? Sure, it looks like a Disney Channel Original movie and plays like one. Is it silly? Yes, the outfits are frequently silly and the acting overly theatrical. It feels like an after-school special. Is it honest? Yes. There’s a palpable sense of pride in what’s being accomplished on screen that turns this camp romance into camp itself.
This film earns a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
Zachary Klein is a rising junior at DePaul University, working towards a BFA in Film & Television Production. They also write regularly for their university’s newspaper The DePaulia and work as an independent filmmaker. They can usually be found watching whatever peaks their interest on the Criterion Channel this month.
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