Remember the days when you were young and the only thing you wanted to do was move out of your parent’s place? You were tired of all the senseless questions you did not want to answer and sick of all their rules that made no sense. If you have ever felt like this and your only dream is to escape in to the woods where no one can find you and build a house you can call your own then you are living in the world with The Kings of Summer.
This tremendous film is an adventure for the adolescents. It’s about being young and running away in a desperate search for your own kind of freedom. This is the first feature film from director Jordan Vogt-Roberts and he hits it out of the park. He has put together such a heartfelt story about a search for not only one’s identity, but one’s self-worth in this world. The Kings of Summer is bursting with teen emotion and Roberts knows exactly how to portray them in the precise way in which the characters and story feel personal and authentic.
Joe (Nick Robinson) and Patrick (Gabriel Basso) are fed up with their families and see no other way to escape it all than by running away and building a house in the woods and live on the land for the summer. With the help of their outlandish, unpredictable friend Biaggio (Moises Arias), the boys stand up and fight for their independence. Sure it may be unconventional and a little insane, but it’s something they feel they must do. Joe has lost his mother and lives with his dad (Nick Offerman), who doesn’t know how to talk to or raise his son. All they do is fight and neither one has any plans on backing down. There is certainly a power struggle between Joe and his father in the house and it keeps getting worse and worse.
Now on the other hand, Patrick and his parents (Marc Evan Jackson and Megan Mullally) communicate all the time. Almost too much. They ask questions that no parent should ever ask their son. They are completely clueless when it comes to what is appropriate and what is not. They are nagging, embarrassing parents, and Patrick is on the edge and is about to take a nose-dive right off the cliff.
So needless to say, Joe and Patrick need this house. They need to find their own way on how to live the life they want to live. In the end, it’s their choice on who they want to be and the path they want to take to get there. However, this is no vacation for the boys. What starts out as an idyllic, relaxing getaway turns in to a summer of romance, heartbreak and puts friendships to the test. At first, it seems like a brilliant idea, but the harsh reality of not being able to run away from your problems set in on Joe, Patrick, and Biaggio. And when it all settles down and the dust clears, they are still just teenagers trying to live out their fantasy.
I must admit, I did not know much about The Kings of Summer and had no idea what to expect. But it is surprisingly original and full of life, and you cannot help but embrace and be consumed by its characters and their liberation. Robinson, Basso, and Arias are spectacular together. They each show impressive strength at displaying real emotion and reaction in situations we have all been through at some point in our lives. And Arias is absolutely hilarious and steals every scene he is in. We do not know much about him, but you can tell he appreciates friendship more than he could ever express. He is a shot of energy that is over-the-top, but undoubtedly welcomed.
Joe, Patrick, and Biaggio go on an unforgettable journey as does the audience. The Kings of Summer is a coming-of-age film where we get to witness a comedy with a heart. Roberts is able to capture everything about childhood experiences in a funny yet potent way and it cuts bone deep. He can balance the laughs with the hurt and pain that comes with growing up. The film is truly about not realizing what you have until it’s gone. You must appreciate the ones you have in your life. Long live The Kings!
“Nature Boy” Brandon Vick is the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and star of Brandon’s Box Office In Your Mouth. Follow him on Twitter@SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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