Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
Three restless teenagers run away to the woods for the summer, determined to escape their parents and live by their own rules. In a hidden clearing, they build a makeshift house and attempt to create an independent life, testing their friendship, freedom, and the challenges of living off the land.
The Kings of Summer is a charming indie coming-of-age film with a fresh, whimsical energy, but it operates mostly within familiar genre territory. Its greatest strength is its cinematography — Jordan Vogt-Roberts and DP Ross Riege capture the woods with a lyrical, sun-drenched beauty that elevates the material well above average. The plot is endearing but fairly predictable in its arc of teenage rebellion and friendship friction. The acting is solid, particularly from Nick Robinson and Moisés Arias (whose oddball Biaggio steals scenes), though none of the performances are truly revelatory. Novelty is moderate — the film has a distinctive indie sensibility and visual style but doesn't fundamentally reinvent the coming-of-age template. The ending resolves things in a satisfying if somewhat conventional emotional beat.