Chasing Summer, 2026.
Directed by Josephine Decker.
Starring Iliza Shlesinger, Garrett Wareing, Lola Tung, Cassidy Freeman, Tom Welling, Megan Mullally, Jeff Perry, Joe Anselm, Elliott Campbell, Zachary Scott Clark, Samuel P. Espinoza, Aimee Garcia, Alexa Maria, Huerta Lindsey Moore, Jaynelle Veloso, Otto Klemp, and Kristin Slaysman.
SYNOPSIS:
After losing both her job and boyfriend, Jamie retreats to her small Texas hometown where friends and flings from a fateful high school summer turn her life upside down.
Director Josephine Decker’s Chasing Summer occasionally transitions into montages of natural disasters, seemingly to reflect that its central character, writer and star Jamie (Iliza Shlesinger), who works in relief groups, is a walking disaster. Whatever hurricane, wildfire, or climate change-caused destructive event on the horizon doesn’t pale in comparison to her life and choices. This mostly unfunny, far too broad, and rarely honest film never evolves beyond the idea. Typically, when we talk about movies never rising above a clever metaphor, we’re talking about the horror genre, not a romantic comedy. So, points for making a bad movie in a refreshing way are in order?
In fairness, Iliza Shlesinger’s style of comedy on display in full force isn’t a surprise. Although the script is so clumsy, it begs the question: how the hell did this make it into Sundance (it was mysteriously pulled from the press platform the day the virtual component went live, even though everyone was still able to spend $35 to watch it)? I’m here to save you money in these final days. Even when this movie actually releases, only seek it out if you can’t help yourself from watching cinematic disasters.
The real conversation that needs to be had is about what sparked a brilliant experimental filmmaker, Josephine Decker, to take on a schmaltzy YA flick and now go to this. That’s also not to say filmmakers should be pigeonholed into one genre, or that they shouldn’t be allowed to take swings (especially women, who already have difficulty getting projects off the ground compared to their male counterparts). It’s a conversation worth having simply because her last two films have been outright lousy. At least here she has compiled striking footage of natural disasters and frequently shoots in long takes that jerk the camera around, as if to demonstrate just how chaotic Jamie’s life is.
It’s as if Josephine Decker’s visual instincts and language are at war with not just Iliza Schlesinger’s comedic sensibilities (she can be hilarious with the right material), but lazy writing and humor that is too often too busy going big instead of portraying any of these characters or anything remotely resembling human beings. That’s without getting into the insultingy dumb twist near the end.
Even the crux of the plot, which sees her returning to her small-town Texas home following a sudden breakup, with cartoonishly portrayed parents (Megan Mullally and Jeff Perry), all in between disaster relief gigs (she will be departing for Jakarta in about three months, and the brand of humor on display here is that Jamie’s mom can never get right what country that locale is in), where she becomes torn between an old flame (Tom Welling) that ended on bad terms and a rumor that is what initially put her on the run and kept her away from this town, and a handsome 20-year-old (Garrett Wareing, as exciting as cardboard) she meets at a college party. There is always a chance that her ex will come back into the picture. It’s all too silly for its own good, and an age-gap relationship with an older woman/younger woman that has been handled better elsewhere. The ensemble certainly tries at times, but there isn’t enough maturity or anything that feels adult-like, balanced out with the comedy, for the premise to work
Jamie is enduring a midlife crisis, finding herself realizing that her older sister (Cassidy Freeman) running a roller rink might not be as bad as it sounds, even if there is a leak in the roof that needs to be fixed before rain comes. She takes it upon herself to assist with repairs and work there in the meantime, where she befriends a college-aged coworker who invites her to the previously mentioned pool party rager. Not even the Sum 41 Fat Lip needle-drop (or any of the terrific song choices from that era) is enough to save this one (although it is admittedly a nice touch that the music video for that song also involved a wild pool party, so there is some synchronicity and inspiration among the creative choice).
Anyway, it turns out there are miscommunications that lead to absurd revelations, and they keep one-upping each other. Meanwhile, everyone Jamie comes across in this town, whether it be high school classmates now hyperfixated on parenting, or are now happily married, exes never feel like real people. They all exist to set up the next piece joke. About the only other thing that works here (aside from the soundtrack and direction) are the admittedly steamy scenes of intimacy.
Unfortunately, Chasing Summer doesn’t have a worthwhile narrative to match that heat. Chase this film down with Josephine Decker’s earlier work or Iliza Shlesinger’s stand-up comedy as a reminder that they are capable of much better work, but apparently not when collaborating. On second thought, maybe all that disaster footage is intended to prepare viewers for the quality of what they are about to watch.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Robert Kojder
