Even serial killers live next door to somebody. In this case, it was 15-year old Davey Armstrong, played by Graham Verchere in the horror/mystery The Summer of 84. Taking place in 1984, this Canadian film directed by Francois Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell focuses on four young boys who believe the cop next door is the local serial killer preying upon teenage boys in nearby towns. The plot follows the boys as they lead their own investigation, attempting to prove that their town’s beloved cop isn’t who he seems. This includes spying on his daily activities, breaking into his house and even digging up his backyard in hopes of finding evidence to send this cop to jail for good.
The film itself spent the better half of the movie tracking the boys’ amateur sleuthing skills, adolescent banter, and slightly uncomfortable scenes between Davey and suspect Wayne Mackey, (Rich Sommer), luring the audience into a sense of security, until jarring viewers with a sudden change of pace.
Within the last 20 minutes of the film is when it begins to finally meet the expectation of a true horror movie. Two of the boys, Davey and Woody (Caleb Emery), and their old babysitter, (Tiera Skovbye) venture into an ominous basement in almost complete darkness as the lights for some unknown reason are all broken.
While the question of “who knows what goes on behind closed doors” holds a certain intrigue, Summer of 84 dragged on until its plot was no longer plausible. Of the characters in the film, Davey’s partners in crime comprise of a classic nerd, tough guy, a slightly obese kid, and the film’s “love interest,” Davey’s old babysitter, who he stares at through his window. With the help of several movie clichés, poor acting, and a close resemblance to shows such as Stranger Things or the movie It, the true mystery was how long it was going to take to pick up the pace.
