[Locke]

The Kings of Summer is better than Way, Way Back? Are you mad?!

The Kings of Summer is technically two narratives running side by side, the primary narrative involves three young tens running away from home and making reality a fantasy that was only ever in our childhood dreams. This fantasy world is constantly draped in menace, as fantasy isn't supposed to exist in reality.

Oddly enough though, the breakdown of the utopia all starts with a girl, which has troubling implications. And the primary bromance is so half baked that the ultimate breakdown of it isn't really all that compelling until right at the very end, where it seems the movie finally catches up to how much of an asshole Joe is and punishes him for it, as reality comes in to clean up what is left of their broken dream. The only point of satisfaction in the whole of the primary narrative.

Overall, I'm really not a big fan of the primary narrative of the film. Minus Biaggio who is loveable in how utterly oddball he is, the other two primary boys are both assholes. I know their brattiness is something we all experience at one stage in our teenage years, but that doesn't make it right, and that doesn't make them enjoyable to watch on screen. Unless your tastes are 'to see how much you relate to the biggest asshole on the screen', then this movie is made for you. It's a shame because the cinematography is beautiful, and the core wish fulfilment aspect is nice.

The secondary narrative though, is where the movie really shines. The secondary narrative is basically a reactive narrative to the primary one. The brats may not think about anyone but themselves, or the consequences of their actions, but that doesn't mean the reverberations do not exist. As such, the parents left behind wondering where their children are, are left to look into themselves to try and understand why their children ran away, and what their flaws always were. Are they really bad people? Or is it just hormones? Nick Offerman being the highlight of the entire movie, playing the equally hilarious and equally sympathetic Frank - who is also a bit of a bastard.

Sadly though, when the film has to wrap up and bring all the narratives together, you pretty much hate everyone who isn't Frank or Biaggio so it's pretty much impossible to enjoy the climax. So although you'll appreciate Frank's jokes, and his heroics, you then have to sit through a load of lovey dovey shit with a bunch of bratty twats, joy! At least it's the loveable Biaggio who is saved, if Joe got bitten by the snake I'd have left him there.

As much as I loved Offerman's performance, and Frank's character arc, I still don't think the movie is really worth sitting through, which is a shame.