Exploring The Bleakest & SCARIEST Reimagining of 80s Nostalgia

[@RyanHollinger]

*New video next week! ... leave your requests the comments please!* Thanks for watching! Support the show and get ad-free uncensored versions: www.patreon.com/ryanhollinger Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/ryanhollinger

[@axelcordova8262]

Fall's right around the corner. So it would be a good time to review Night in the Woods. Or Pink Floyd's The Wall.

[@iusedtowrite6667]

You could check out 'tumbbad' you might enjoy it

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

As Above, So Below (2014) Mr. Jones (2013) Underworld series (2003-2017) Soulmate (2013) Spike (2008) Frankenstein (2015) -The one directed by Candyman '92's Bernard Rose

[@GayMer_Freak]

Vampire In Brooklyn?

[@nicholasdanner628]

Have you ever considered covering All the Boys Love Mandy Lane? I watched it for the first time recently and was surprised by how much it resonated with me despite not being the biggest fan of its grindhouse style

[@MandleRoss]

My mate was complaining about how "kid detective" fiction might give children a false sense of security about sticking their noses into criminal activity. I told him to watch this movie.

[@tanuki01]

In a world where kids have no agency and authority, the kid detective genre at least gives them a break from the bleak powerlessness they face every day. While it makes us feel very smart to subvert it, tearing down one of the few power fantasies kids have of doing good doesn’t really make their lives better. Let them imagine they’re a conquering hero before closing the book and remembering their parents are divorcing, they have to worry about getting shot at school and the internet is a minefield of slurs and hate masquerading as edgy jokes. They NEED that escape

[@dibbadyda1728]

And in doing so, proving his point.

[@MandleRoss]

@@tanuki01 Sorry, I shortened the explanation for the sake of simplicity. My mate was saying that there should be at least one or two examples of the genre that pointed out the harsh reality of what could happen in the real world. He wasn't saying that kid-detective genre should not exist. So I told him that there WAS actually a perfect example of what he was hoping for.

[@MandleRoss]

@@dibbadyda1728 No.

[@Frink77]

on that note the movie "Kid detective" is amazing and hilarious, would recommend. Also got that grittiness

[@wstine79]

As a guy whose childhood was the 1980s, I will say this was a better representation of a kid living in that decade than most recent movies.

[@underworlddreams9511]

Same here brother. When I watched this movie I thought to myself, "Finally someone at least _somewhat_ understands what that decade was actually like!"

[@mariaaguadoball3407]

To be fair, that's a very low bar. As someone who was in my 20s back then, it does a better job than Stranger Things, but I didn't find it that evocative. Also, I need to say how sick I am of all these nostalgia films & movies thinking that an 80s setting is an excuse for indulging in 80s-style misogyny. Believe or not, we were fucked off about it then, & I'm not going to tolerate it now.

[@gothgirl4evr414]

I think he summed it up very well when he said that the problem with the 80s nostalgia is its being made by people who weren't even born yet and really don't have a grasp of what being a kid in the 80s was like. I was born in 77 and grew up in the 80s and 90s and the 20 somethings and even some of the early 30 somethings don't really have a true concept of what growing up in that decade was like, they only have an idea from what movies they may have watched from that decade or what they read about online. I could be wrong but that's my thoughts on it

[@shannonbayley3684]

@@mariaaguadoball3407 What exactly. Can you expand on that? Seems worse these days with women dressing half naked, all over TikTok, fb, insta etc making money from their bodies and onlyfans. Sleeping around like it means nothing. This is what has become of the vast majority of young women today and this is to be celebrated?? I'm not taking away from misogynistic culture from certain time periods and how it was gross, but it seemed both men and women had a hell of a lot more morals and respect for themselves and each other back then, than people do now. I know for me growing up in the 80s it was much better than these days, where people can't even respect themselves, let alone others.

[@mariaaguadoball3407]

@@shannonbayley3684 Are you kidding? The way the boys in the film spoke in a completely dehumanising way to the one (of course, just one) young woman, & the way she just sucked it up instead of fighting back. Also, although I do have issues with Tik Tok culture & sexism, it's notable that you think young women actively choosing certain images for themselves is worse than men or boys hypersexualising them.

[@Mirakelpung]

You know what 80's Nostalgia I want back? Practical effects and puppetry.

[@awkwardukulele6077]

Honestly, as someone who's looking into digital effects for my own projects and (Maybe) some professional work in the future, YES! I enjoy Digital stuff a lot, and it's way easier for a newbie with a computer to get into, but goddamn, practical effects and ESPECIALLY puppetry will always hold a place in my Henson-loving heart!

[@WillyShakespeare]

We had dark crystal, keyterm had. Still salty that Netflix canceled the series

[@sirdidymus24]

DAMN STRAIGHT.

[@FairyBogFather]

YES YES YES YES YES

[@ReplicatorFifth]

With today’s practical effects advances though. Seen the effects from The Thing remake before the studio made them redo the movie with CGI? It could have been an amazing practical effects horror remake :(

[@xellffs6258]

Davey's trauma in "realizing what a hero is" reminds me a lot of Stand By Me & how the children feel after finding the body.

[@AaronEatPaper]

I LOVE THAT MOVIE

[@xellffs6258]

@@AaronEatPaper isnt it the best?

[@TheRealHelenaDeluca]

yes similar vibes!

[@michaelhegwood9977]

It is weird that there is an sense of childhood nostalgia during the decade missing kids were so frequent it was advertised on milk cartons

[@OceanIgs]

Yeah like imagine making a childhood nostalgia set in the 2020s when over a million people die from the virus and a big political divide spark conspiracy groups and riots. Not saying there's gonna be a movie like that but it's possible someone would show that with sunglasses and roses haha

[@merchantfan]

I mean I'm not sure child abductions actually went up as much as the case of Etan Patz and a few other children were so dramatic and the news eager to spread it that they put out a lot of stuff about it (and kids were still relatively unrestricted)

[@FuchsiaNeko]

Damn, as someone who didn't grow up in the 80s that is such a horrifying realization for something I always saw as just a sight gag in shows/cartoons...

[@Scarshadow666]

@@OceanIgs I wouldn't be surprised if that'll happen someday when people become nostalgic for the 2020's, just as previous nostalgic things sometimes mention the threat of nuclear war and the rise of previous pandemics like AIDS/HIV, but barely ever touch on the anxiety and trauma people actually felt during that time. Maybe they'll show people starting to wear masks more when they go out, or about most of what it's like with social media, but it's possible it'd either be portrayed as this Big Background Thing (like how WWII or the Civil Rights Movements would sometimes be portrayed in movies) or just not mentioned altogether in future nostalgic artworks/media.

[@nunyabiznes33]

@@OceanIgs I can already imagine a romcom set in the 2020s during a lockdown where a boy and girl fall in love calling at each other's windows coz they have no other people to talk to coz the internet is down and their doors were welded shut. They gonna make that shit look fun!

[@silverstarinthesky]

Mackey’s final words posed me off so much. “YOU RUINED MY LIFE.” Just once I want someone to ask a character like him “What makes your life so much more worthwhile than the ones you ended?”

[@Jmetclaf7053]

I mean, there wouldn’t be much point in it. Serial killers are narcissistic and anti social. They don’t have a reason that other people aren’t of equal worth to themselves. To them, they just aren’t.

[@jellyjilli1004]

@@Jmetclaf7053 yeah, by nature other people's lives mean nothing to them. They consider themselves above anyone and anything and it's just how their minds work.

[@swagathachristie5242]

He was a cop, believing yourself untouchable (and being untouchable to a certain extent because of the "brotherhood of police") is kind of part of the gig. I get how someone steeped in that culture could believe that.

[@silverstarinthesky]

@@Jmetclaf7053 Seeing the gears turning in his head or just rage would be satisfying.

[@JoeKing69]

Whoa no way you mean to tell me that serial killers tend to lack empathy and hold a solipsistic view of the world? My god that is some genius insight into criminal psychology you have there.

[@underworlddreams9511]

Having grown up in the '80s myself I can't help but facepalm, shake my head, & let out a sad chuckle at how that era is portrayed in modern renditions of it. However, this film was like a punch to the gut and took me straight back to that strange time. Kids were made to believe they were in constant danger yet were more or less shoved to the wayside and never believed about anything no matter the circumstances.

[@FreyaEinde]

A similar thing is happening with the 90’s and it’s like…did everybody just glaze over the constant threat of domestic terror and gang violence or what? It’s weird to have it portrayed as this more innocent time before 9/11 ruined things…when in truth the war on terror was the popped zip we’d been squeezing the whole decade prior. Just a garbage ass time of suppressed feelings and consuming gimmicky junk.

[@Aaron-zt5ee]

Remember, when we were kids, the 50s and 60s were often depicted as an idyllic time by many filmmakers and show-runners, often with the contemporary time being seen as dark and immoral. I think it’s just a normal thing for many to present their childhood as a perfect time in history.

[@Droemar]

I'm especially reminded of the fundamentalist religious movements that took communities over. Satanic Panic, yes, sure, but also there was a concentrated political effort to make religion into politics. I got some of the tail end of it with "Harry Potter and Pokemon are Satanic" in the 90s, but there's an entire generation of Millennials who were homeschooled and brainwashed by evangelical Christian insanity in the 80s, with or without child abuse. It has a direct correlation with Millennial distaste for religion, and everyone acts like it's a mystery. "Why don't Millenials like religion!?" Probably because it controlled their lives, stunted their knowledge, and did absolutely nothing to protect them.

[@JoeKing69]

I knew it! I'm a millennial and I knew that childhood in the 80's wasn't nearly as cool as everyone keeps telling me it was. The fact of the matter is that regardless of the era, being a kid sucked. You had no responsibility sure but you also had no power and were left at the mercy of the adults around you. You had no skills and were most likely in constant confusion due to the changing world around you and lack of direction. You were most likely also not very interesting and only liked/disliked something because other people did. You had to go to a place most hate for five days a week, at least as an adult you can choose a fulfilling career path or even start your own business.

[@bethanythatsme]

So well said. I can very much relate. No wonder I'm an anxious wreck.

[@gabbyhogg9762]

I think you hit the nail on the head with how the film breaks the rose-tinted glasses of the era. I think this theme is also reinforced by how Mackey's basement is modelled after his childhood bedroom, implying he had an abusive childhood. His childhood seems to have been in the 50s too, which there was a lot of nostalgia for back in the 80s (e.g. Back to the Future, Stand by Me etc.), showing that no decade was ever truly the idealised, romanticised time that some may remember them as.

[@NuekerFilms]

I was literally JUST trying to think of what this movie was called!! I just put on Super Dark Times, seeing the same “kids on bikes” imagery and quickly realized it was a veeeeery different movie. Thanks for your thoughts, Ryan!

[@TheGrayEsteban]

Dude, I actually think you had a point there. I like both movies, which I think are underrated, on the same group.

[@ThorKAH]

YES i didnt watch this for a while bc i thought it was the same movie but i finally watched it couple of months ago and summer of 84 is so good I hardly remember super dark times tbh

[@MrBooone]

@Planet Offkey it’s an ok drama

[@MrBooone]

@Planet Offkey Gary?

[@MrBooone]

@Planet Offkey I never said it was bad, it just wasn't anything spectacular

[@jacob_ian_decoursey_the_author]

I think the problem with 80s nostalgia is it’s only nostalgic for the suburban 80s. That’s a small sliver of what all was going on in the United States during that time. Cities were another story. Rural counties were yet another. Even in suburbs, richer areas were very different from poorer suburbs. Same with cities, where “Wall Street” was an opposite entity to “Do the Right Thing.” Not everything looked like E.T or a John Hughes movie, and there was a LOT going on all over the place. If you’re going to talk about an era, it’s dishonest to filter that entire era into one local lens.

[@hawkticus_history_corner]

Hollywood does this a lot. The vast majority of things they make are either in the nicer suburbs or nicer inner city area. Ya,there's examples of it being elsewhere, but it's pretty painfully obvious when it's made by someone not from that area. I just find it so funny that 80s horror films seemed to get the feel of rural, working class suburb and working class urban areas down wheras these multi billion dollar studios couldn't to save their lives

[@mikemcdonald1999]

@@hawkticus_history_corner Well a lot of that was due to the fact that horror films then and now operated on smaller budgets. So your "location" horror film was probably shot in a rural area or run down inner city. To add to that, it was way cheaper to offer Cletus a case of Bud and free lunch than to contract out another actor. Since Cletus is from there it feels authentic too.

[@hawkticus_history_corner]

@@mikemcdonald1999 It's also made worst by all the post processing that goes on. A lot of movies make far too much use of filters and so it looks...wrong.

[@skylx0812]

Here in the southwest in the 70s and 80s, the biker gangs didn't just rule the highways, they ran the show and controlled the cities. There are still a few "known" towns where they say if you stop for gas, fill up and go, quick. The Sean Penn, Christopher Walken film "At Close Range" managed to capture a bit of that, "stuff going on in the back woods" vibe that was just beneath the surface in some areas. And the Madonna song "Live To Tell" seemed to capture the feel of that, either you know about it, or don't sense you tended to get from people at the time. 80s pop culture was fun, but there was darkness at edges.

[@Jmetclaf7053]

It’s an excellent point you make here. This nostalgia has a very limited scope. If you were a white upper class suburbanite in the 1980s, I’m sure they were great. But for everyone else the 1980s were when you lost your Union, your pension ran out, and your job was shipped overseas. It was AIDS and crack cocaine. It was moral panics and mass incarceration. And you know what, the fact that all this 80s nostalgia is generating at the same time as an out of control reactionary movement led by Donald fucking Trump of all people, well, maybe that’s a little more than a coincidence.

[@bluenfee]

This movie has one of the best late stage tone shifts I've ever seen in a movie. Friends and I still bring it up years after seeing it. Fantastic video.

[@juanjimenez980]

I was waiting for a twist like revealing the babysitter was the killer during the movie or something. Ironically, my expectations caused the Mackey reveal to be a legitimate twist to me

[@joshkaye5303]

I swear I saw women's legs under that roller door storage unit scene.... thought it may have been the babysitter aswell for a moment there..... in cahoots with Mackey doing the heavy lifting

[@TimZoet]

I had the exact same experience. I felt like Mackey was way too obvious so I believed it was the babysitter the whole time. But when that phonecall happened and he discovered that Mackey called himself I was like "No way... it's really him.." - very well done how I too wouldn't have believed the main character, like everyone else

[@ChildOfChaos07]

I liked this movie, but the ending makes me love it. It’s so bleak and so heavy. It goes against the whole group of friends takes down the bad guy trope.

[@kdizzle901]

Well they took him down just not down for the count and at Woodys life and Daveys sanity

[@cherijoseph7819]

Etan Patz was the first missing child on a milk carton. As tough as NYC is, the entire city was shocked that he was taken in broad daylight. His murder was solved just two years ago. It was a schizophrenic who lived rough and did errands at the local deli.

[@johnlukins1710]

Thanks for the information

[@MegaHellstrike]

I was surprised to hear that the adults would actually believe the video evidence the boys would show them, thought this was gonna turn into the ancient trope of "adults in a movie with children as the main characters being fucking idiots" .

[@schmutzthefink4979]

I was also surprised that they got out and to the police without the killer suddenly standing behind them. Actually relieving! And because of the later twist it didn't feel "too easy/ smooth"

[@kdizzle901]

Well how can they deny it it’s on tape they had a live victim too

[@Chubbasaurus]

I sincerely hope the dad felt like an absolute asshole for not believing them and making them go apologise to a serial child killer.

[@asneakylawngnome5792]

Damn everybody busy taking about the 80’s when nobody is even talking about the ending. That fucked me up man. Truly goes to show that being the hero always comes with a price, whether you know it or not.

[@someoneelse4710]

That was absolutely horrifying. A definite subversion of "kid detective takes on the bad guy and saves everyone." My heart broke when his friend was killed. The good guys don't always win.

[@BearPawSwipe]

It is a good reminder that this is "real life" where the good guy doesn't win and the consequences for crossing evil is a lifetime of suffering. Our media always makes a happy ending around the corner & that rarely is the case.

[@asneakylawngnome5792]

@@BearPawSwipe Very true

[@DeathnoteBB]

What gets me is how easily anyone, _any adult_ could have helped. Instead they all leave a child to handle this by himself and that just leads to more victims.

[@twinvortex]

I WAS JUST saying how I could do a double feature with this and “the black phone” cuz except this movie is WAY darker and stuck with me more. Another amazing choice and video!!!

[@melpomenesnightmare7291]

Aaasß

[@aboveyou686]

The boy behind the door is a better option imo

[@jaysony8587]

@@aboveyou686 not even.

[@meganfaith4052]

Yes! That was what I was thinking! This movie did it better

[@christchex9732]

I am honestly surprised this movie didn't get a bigger release. It stays amazingly true to the 80's, fantastic acting and a great twist but bleak end to the whole spying on my neighbor genre. I have watched this multiple times and have enjoyed it each time. Thank you for covering it! I hope more people cover it as well and give it the views it deserves

[@MariAnimates]

Woody's death absolutely floored me and left me distressed and horrified. I was heart broken and disturbed, I had never thought that something like that would happen. It was just...real

[@GrimmvaleVT]

One really nice detail I noticed after multiple watches is how Macky says he helped build their attic, and the Attic is where he hides out at. Very subtle foreshadowing

[@marennicholson5444]

As a kid of the 80’s I’m fascinated by 80’s nostalgia because I never found there to be much to be nostalgic about (my love of Stranger Things is more story based than 80’s based). I find Summer of 84’ to be the anti-80’s nostalgia film. As you point out - nothing is what it seems from the beginning shot to the last. The constant Reagan/Bush references I’m sure are no accident as well as having this film take place in 1984 (hello there George Orwell) rather than 86 or 87. The father mentioning the Cold War never ending and to borrow your overly deep view of things, the Sorry game over the Monopoly one. I find the opening shot is what people think of the 80’s - happy people in tacky outfits with big hair. In the end the same street is revealed to be filled with struggling single mothers, foreclosed houses, domestic violence, abandoned innocence for children in the destruction of the tree house, and corrupt murderous police. Davey could very well be the quintessential Gen X character who sees nothing but dread in his future and he’s not wrong. Whatever 80’s nostalgia the filmmakers show in the beginning they take a quick and ruthless sledgehammer to by the end as if to say - eff the 80’s.

[@tanuki01]

Yeah, but at the same time, don’t you think we’ve had enough dread and hopelessness for the future? I don’t know.

[@marennicholson5444]

@@tanuki01 I’m not sure what you’re asking me here. Is it that you would rather this movie have had a happy ending or that you disagree that that’s the conclusion of the movie or rather my interpretation of it.

[@JillLulamoon]

I'm a millennial but I did grow up with a lot of music and films from the 80s since my mom was a big 80s teen lol, and it kinda bothers me how many people use the 80s nostalgia and kinda ignore all the really dark stuff that happened during that time. The frightening increase of Cold War hostility, HIV/AIDS crisis, early 80s economic recession from 1980 to 83 (which makes me think '84 was no random year they picked). There was a lot more happening in the 1980s in the US than just good music and goofy hairstyles.

[@animeotaku307]

@@JillLulamoon Also the Satanic Panic

[@tanuki01]

@@marennicholson5444 I’m not really asking anything of you. I just wanted to share my two cents on the joy we take in subverting and undermining something kids take refuge in

[@JoyfulOrb]

I really want to watch this movie, but I'm terrified just reading the description! I'm so glad to have Ryan's dulcet tones helping me work up to it!

[@UnwrittenSpade]

This is satire right? We’re you really scared to watch a movie? Dive in mate I’m sure you will be fine

[@alexroy5854]

@@UnwrittenSpade Mate some people are strongly affected by media and/or past experiences. It's very realistic that somebody might not want to watch such a dark, frightening, depressing, and downright disturbing movie

[@JoyfulOrb]

@@UnwrittenSpade Thanks for the encouragement, because I'm truly scared.

[@JoyfulOrb]

@@alexroy5854 Thanks especially for the understanding! You GET it.

[@alexroy5854]

@@JoyfulOrb Absolutely, my gf used to suffer from self harm so the scene in Event Horizon with that is always super uncomfortable for me to watch. This movie is a hot bed of disturbing topics, so I figure many people would steer clear and/or tread with caution

[@SpookyScaryScully]

God with everything in this movie, seeing the foreclosure sign on Woodys house was what broke me. Phenomenal video dude.

[@kdizzle901]

“I can’t die tonight my mom needs me”

[@shimshamjunior]

I can only imagine what his mom did there was no way she could handle the grief of being a divorced woman and having a dead son

[@jonathanmulondo9206]

We were all long overdue for a deconstruction of 80s nostalgia I also wish that the It adaptations still took place in the 50s and didn't copy Stranger Things, which is ironic because stranger things was based off the works of Stephen King

[@clintmcbride7830]

I always figured they did the new IT the way they did more to make the second film take place in modern times. But I also just disagree. The original IT was written in the late eighties, when the adult section of the book took place, meaning the childs section had to be decades before. The new films were made in the teens so it just makes sense that the films creators would do the same thing King did. Yeah 80s nostalgia is way too rampant today but there is a difference between a show or film using the eighties as a setting, and them making it purely to cash in on the nostalgia. Most seasons of Stranger Things are not heavy handed with it. 3 is more so than the others. They don't beat you over the head in a way that literally is just a metaphor for screaming , "ITS THE EIGHTIES DONT YOU REMEMBER THIS FROM THE EIGHTIES OH MY GOD GUYS ITS A PROMINENT MOVIE, OH HEAR THAT ITS ANOTHER EIGHTIES SONG, OH COOL WERE GONNA RACK FOCUS THAT CHIC IN THE BACKGROUND WHO HAD A SHOULDER PADDED SUIT BECAUSE WASN'T THAT SUCH A CRAZY FASHION. But the better a genre does the more people who wanna ride the coattail. And people who only wanna ride the coattail are only doing it for money and not because it's an idea they love and want to develop. Leading to more of the badly done nostalgia porn.

[@hanolodo]

@@clintmcbride7830 Season 4 of Stranger Things did a good job of showing the good and bad of the 80s, especially with the nonsense of the Satanic Panic. In today's era if people went around saying that Dungeons and Dragons lead to Satanism, people would call you insane.

[@jonathanmulondo9206]

@@clintmcbride7830 I think we will probably get a couple of deconstructions of 80s nostalgia that might take a look into something like the Satanic Panic and the dangers of Reganomics. I also didn't disklike the new IT movies, I just wish that they didn't do the 80s nostalgia.

[@viljamtheninja]

@@hanolodo To be honest, I always thought Stranger Things was less mindlessly 80s romantic than people often claim. I mean, the first season especially deals with 1) children going missing, and 2) weird potentially world-ending scientific experiments (reflecting the nuclear fear surrounding the Cold War). Those things were always thematic key elements.

[@TheWonkster]

@@hanolodo that part of season 4 was so horrifically overblown that it reads more as a parody.

[@d0cf0x4]

The ending reminded me of the ending of The Kid Detective - a coming of age story where the amateur detective uncovers the truth, but the truth leaves them a deeply and psychologically damaged.

[@RB-vo4gi]

Stranger Things might have been the first tv show to build the nostalgia for the 80’s in quite the way it did, but I don’t hold it responsible for society reacting in the way that society reacts. “Oh? This thing set in the 80’s was super popular? Let’s give EVERYTHING for the next 8 years an 80’s vibe! An 80’s flair! Let’s set it all in the 80’s! Think of the money!” Its the same way I don’t blame Suzanne Collins for the boom of Dystopian literature after The Hunger Games.

[@dohlecarnett1866]

Brace yourself for the 90s nostaliga, I guess...

[@jedh3721]

I like how Red Letter Media put it. They call it the Campfire effect. You are camping, and having a good time with your little campfire roasting marshmallows and enjoying the warmth. Then someone comes along and decides if a little fire is good, then a lot more fire would be even better, and tosses a jug of gasoline on it and starts a forest fire.

[@Scarshadow666]

@@FluffyBunniesOnFire ^ Definitely this! Movies in the '80s were referencing and remaking things that were part of the '50s/'60s because it was what a lot of film-makers at the time grew up on, and now it's the '80s and '90s where people are gravitating toward for nostalgia now (and even some early '00s nostalgia is starting to appear too).

[@LeoFieTv]

Especially when you consider that Stranger Things doesn't portray the 80s as a good time, quite the opposite.

[@LadyAstarionAncunin]

But there is a direct correlation. It's not even about blame. It's just economics. Or Reaganomics, if you will.

[@LordRydag]

It's actually a movie about me ruining one of my school holidays after getting into creepy pasta and staying up till 3am every night ready scary stories on the internet and giving myself mild psychosis.

[@nicholasdanner628]

I don't know if the filmmakers intended this but I was entirely convinced the film was setting up that not only was Wayne innocent but in a twist Nikki would be revealed to be the actual killer, nothing shocked me more or made me happier then to see that I was completely wrong

[@ErinJeanette]

I thought daveys dad would be the killer or in cahoots with Mackey

[@juanjimenez980]

I thought she was gonna be the killer too

[@ScienceWinsEveryTime]

I could not believe that this film ended so damn perfectly the first time I watched it. Davey has gotten his friend killed, the killer got away, his childhood and possibly his life are destroyed, and Mackey is coming back. As the closing voiceover was playing out, I was yelling at my TV to "please let it end like this". Don't pull some bullshit that lets Davey or the audience off the hook, like he hears on the radio that Mackey got caught in another town. Don't you dare do that. Let it be this soul-crushing and impactful. And I was not disappointed. The credits rolled and all I could say was Holy Fucking Shit, over and over. Just a perfect ending. And what really hammered it home for me while thinking about it later, was that the severity of the ending wasn't just caused by playfully meddling into his neighbor's business. The real knife turn was realizing that Davey COULD HAVE gotten Mackey caught before he ever suspected anything or had a chance to escape. In the library scene, about halfway through the film, Davey's going through articles about the murder victims, with pictures of people that he has *already seen* on the wall in Mackey's house. They're right there under the headlines staring back at him. But because the group of friends are all treating it like a game or an adventure, and not a series of deadly serious crimes, he allows himself to be distracted by his friends and never puts 2 and 2 together, which has absolutely tragic consequences. He *could have* been the hero in that moment, caught the bad guy, kept his friends safe and saved future victims from their fates. He had everything that he needed in that moment, but the naive confidence and feeling of invincibility of teenagers got in the way, and everyone suffered for it. Outstanding film, one of my favorite endings ever.

[@iusedtowrite6667]

Speaking of horror movies with kids, there's an old Indian horror movie called 'Makdee' (meaning spider), which covers how rural folk here are superstitious and is genuinely a very clever movie. It's a classic here, you might enjoy it.

[@kyrauniversal]

Oooo... I actually am studying a lot about Spiders and spider related legends around the world for my projects. Thank you for informing me of this. I'll gladly credit you as a source bringer in my Behind The Scenes video that explains certain themes I am implementing.

[@iusedtowrite6667]

@@kyrauniversal it's not technically spider related so idk how much that can add to it. But you can watch the movie and decide

[@kyrauniversal]

@@iusedtowrite6667 Oh trust me. There is an expression in America called "Web Of Lies" which means someone won't stop lying to themselves and others, or you can relate it to conspiracy theories and/or some type of widely known phenomenon that is considered truth with no logical merit. Such as Superstitions.

[@chattychatotchannel]

I hope it gets covered :D

[@kyrauniversal]

@@chattychatotchannel Me Too.

[@deviltown13]

I watched Summer of 84 after starting this video. I only got a few seconds into the video here before I decided that I needed to see this movie. I finally had time today, and I watched it with my mother. What followed honestly was one of the best horror movies I've watched. I adored it all the way through, I love the characters and I think it was extremely well made.

[@connorletkeman5002]

My friends and I first watched Summer of 84 the same night as The Babysitter. Babysitter's light hearted approach is an excellent chaser for the dourness of '84

[@TheBowHandSet]

So glad I didn’t spoil this one for myself and came back. The turn caught me completely off guard and was super refreshing. I love a unhappy ending sometimes.

[@trinaq]

One thing that I appreciated about this movie was that it didn't glorify the 80's, and doesn't shy away from the more unsettling aspects of the era. This is similar to a recent 80's set time travel show, "Paper Girls", where they point out the period appropriate homophobia and derogatory language, and how it doesn't hold up in 2019.

[@TicTacPilgrim]

Check the original Comic run too. There is a page set up to how mindless video games were in the 80s and how one girl realizes she basically wasted her life. That is one of the most striking things in media in my opinion.

[@nora_n3ko324]

I’m so glad you talked about this movie! It’s one of my all time favorite horror movies and genuinely chilled me to the bone. It’s honestly just so unsettling and sticks with you. It is beyond underrated and slept on

[@NoxMonstrum]

I'm glad you covered this film because it deserves the praise. It's one of the only newer 80s replicating films that stood out in a meaningful way. I felt so bad by the end of the movie.

[@theflyingcrow84]

I have to say, this movie kinda reminds me of The Kid Detective which came out a few years ago; but where this movie uses children themselves to do the "loss of innocence when faced with the cold reality of life", The Kid Detective uses the premise of an embittered adult to reflect on the fact that beneath the veneer of their nostalgia, the world that they thought they knew was never real. I think it'd be an interesting companion piece in the way that they treat their subject material. Both of them want to be a hero, in Summer of 84 it's chasing something that would be colored as a fun adventure in a movie of the time period, and in The Kid Detective it's more in hopes of living up to the lofty expectations and goals put upon them as a child; and they both end in a startling revelation but where Summer of 84 uses horror for the reveal I'd say The Kid Detective leans into the eponymous premise and uses mystery to pull towards the end.

[@river8142]

This!!!! I was wondering why the ending felt so familiar!

[@johnjr578]

Mackey's monologue near the end is fr the most chilling psychological moment in a movie I've felt since Se7en

[@angelofmusic1992]

I'm a sucker for the IT remake, particularly the first movie. I know that kind of fed into the 80's nostalgia craze like Stranger Things, but I can't help but love it.

[@KEVANDJACKFRIGHTS]

This is without doubt a lost classic. Brilliantly made and played and deserves way more attention. One of my fav flicks of recent years. Good man for covering it. Keep er lit!

[@althealee9375]

If I’m not mistaken the case of Adam Walsh inspired Code Adam, which stores in the US and Canada use. “If an adult is seen attempting to leave with a child, employees must not physically intervene, to prevent putting the child or others at risk of immediate harm. Other than cashiers, all employees search likely hiding places for the missing child. The police are immediately called”

[@jdjfoster]

Things that immediately make the beginning of a week better: a new Ryan video. That's it. That's the list.

[@tomato.sandwich]

I concur

[@hieunguyenrileygekko]

the sudden turn at the end is really unique and makes me still remember the movie to this day

[@pray4m0j00]

The last act really hit me hard, so devoid of hope and just brutal

[@sheensyo]

In my top ten horror endings ever. Still think about it nearly everyday and how uncomfortable it made me!

[@VoxParanoia]

Yo, Ryan! I've been watching your videos for a few years now. You're one of only a handful of creators whose content I consistently look forward to and I'll watch whatever you upload. I just wanted to wish you well and thank you for the years of entertainment.

[@Conroy760]

I watched this because of you, and I loved it. I'm not a fan of cheap 80s throw backs, but this did extremely great things with the style and feel. I honestly feel like this is what Black Phone should have really been. Also one of my favorite movies ever is Fright Night from 85, so I do have a soft spot for well done movies like it

[@maineman5757]

I really like 'Summer of 84'. I actually bought the movie on amazon one night while browsing and was really surprised by it.

[@TyroneBruinsmaFilms]

Another great recommendation. Not an 80s throwback, but a 70s one- I hope you'll be able to cover 2022's X and it's upcoming prequel Pearly by Ti West

[@connorvanwinter8577]

I remember the first time I saw this movie I thought it was really fun with some good scares/tension and then by the end I was genuinely SHOOK. Such a great, underrated movie.

[@jadenbryant9283]

Late but yeah it's super underrated it got me guessing alot

[@JillLulamoon]

I really don't think it can be overstated how haunting the ending of this film is. It's such a brutal slap back to reality against what you would expect from an 80s teen mystery homage. I think praise should be given to the great synth soundtrack too. Especially the ending track. The Cape May Slayer is still at large, and one day, he'll come back....

[@marcusjackson4148]

Great analysis of a great movie. As an 80s baby it was the most genuine 80s nostalgia movie I've ever seen. The ending was terrific and I understand why there probably won't be a sequel.

[@Ranixo286]

I could see a "summer of 04" commenting on a post 9/11 American paranoia with an Adult Davey's Paranoia.

[@deirdrejones5974]

This was a great analysis! I was a kid in the summer of 84, and it captured the atmosphere pretty well. It’s a very good film, absolutely worth a watch if you haven’t seen it.

[@ariellakahan-harth8831]

This is one of my all-time favorite horror movies and I'm so happy you covered it. One of my favorite horror subgenres is what I think of sometimes as "children's horror" even if it's not made for children; it's really just any movie about children in danger from adults and, despite being an adult myself, it taps into every single childhood fear I ever had about encountering an authority figure who would hurt me without consequence. But my god, SUMMER OF 84 is so good: I love seeing how the filmmakers scaled down an IT type of plot to a level of utterly terrifying realism. And how the kids are excited at the prospect of catching a serial killer, how they don't really seem to comprehend that a serial killer is, well, a serial killer until they (well, Davey and Woody anyway) are forced to face him. Rich Sommer's performance is practically up there with Robert Mitchum in THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (1955), the grandfather of all horror villains who seek to harm children; him being a cop makes him even more insidious because he probably knows just how much his job and the respect that comes from it can shield him from ever facing consequences.

[@ddlovesjc1]

Another great review!! This is one of my favorite movies and the performances were all so great. Off topic, I’m really loving your hair style!!!

[@nightmarefiles1]

I’ve watched that movie so many times

[@elimidd6626]

I've been waiting for your deconstruction of this! I watched it after you reccomended it in a shudder sponsorship and I loved it but also don't really want to watch it again. It's very bleak and fitting and I was truly scared of Mackey when he came to the house. It's nice to have the 80's nostalgia trend cut through with this bleak, honest depiction of missing kids, what being a "hero" really does to a kid, and the real consequences both psychologically and socially of going through something traumatic like that.

[@CloudBuilderMetba]

I’ve recommended this movie so many times, and people generally say that they’re done with 80s nostalgia. And then I reiterate that’s more of a reason to watch this film, and I’ve never been wrong. It’s brilliant.

[@versebuchanan512]

I don't believe that. You've been wrong about something, at least once. Statistically speaking you have to have been. STOP LYING 😭

[@gothgirl4evr414]

@@versebuchanan512 I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that they were referring to not being wrong about the reasons to watch this movie and not never being wrong in life in general. At least I truly hope so

[@versebuchanan512]

@@gothgirl4evr414 (Yeah I figured that too, I was being facetious

[@cu_ri_o]

this movie scarred me, man. I didn't expect such a brutal ending

[@odistabettor]

Your narration on these videos is always so well-written.

[@CrimsonVision-v1j]

Maybe it’s YT’s compression but I love the shots and scenes you show in the clips that make the footage look soft, it makes it look almost like a lost 80s film

[@darkwoods1954]

Being a fan of synthwave and Stranger Things I love the hyper exaggerated 80s aesthetic. This film really hit me at the end as for most of it it's a pretty care free and fun romp. The somewhat nihilistic ending was quite hard hitting and a shock.

[@geekreport]

Considering the filmmakers' movie before this was "Turbo Kid" I definitely was not expecting something this dark and bleak. Excellent film and great commentary on it, Ryan.

[@carrissasky5635]

I love Turbo Kid, though. It's a fun bit of pure awesome. Though, yeah, the two films are much different. Turbo Kid was way more fantastical and lighter in tone, though it is ironically the gorier of the two, probably.

[@WeaselFromNorth]

Not exactly a 80s nostalgia flick, but a another interesting teenager murder mystery/psychological thriller - "Super Dark Times". Love to hear the opinions on that film.

[@novasite7795]

Great review! This was an excellent movie! Loved the way you deconstructed its meaning!

[@Bridget718]

So happy to see you review this one! I discovered it on Shudder and it has quickly become a favorite

[@HenloBoppo]

Thank you for bringing some attention to this one, performances were amazing all around. The ending threw me for a total loop 😮 Highly recommended!

[@jordachejordan90]

U have a real gift for visual essays. So many of ur videos peak my interests in films i wouldn't give the time of day.

[@Lili-ib2rh]

Thank you for talking about a film made by people from my province (Quebec). It's cool that they are more popular. :)

[@MagraveOfGA]

Good lord... this film is genuinely one of the few literal gut-wrenching, anxiety inducing films I've encountered in a while. :|

[@actualturtle2421]

Just want to say that I appreciate the fact that you used the synth track in this video. It was a nice touch.

[@stard9864]

I am loving the 80s resurgence! Even this movie has the same formula as an old film back then. Very intelligent people going back to movie styles is pretty nice to see. It’s more of a love letter if anything.

[@JeffMaziarz]

After fumbling the like/dislike buttons a while while also fumbling my phone, I just wanted to say I love your work and eagerly look forward to your videos. Thank you.

[@CoraBean]

I am SO glad you covered this movie!!! I’m always recommending it to people, that ending just sticks with you. My feelings on the film are exactly what you expressed, I hope more people get the chance to enjoy it

[@Heckingfelix]

I missed you! Hope you had a great time away!

[@22Hammy]

This is one of my favorite films ever. I love the unique ending which i did not see coming and i love how each character is flushed out. It really brings to light the fear of the 80s, showing the darker and less colorful side when all those serial killers were going around. No matter how badly I want a sequel, Im kind of happy there isnt gonna be one cause to end it off with that sense of oblivion and constant fear is a really cool cliffhanger.

[@sarahwarnock2707]

Yes! I'm so glad you are covering this movie, it def sticks with you! I put it on for background noise one day and ended up dropping everything to watch it. I can't wait to hear what you have to say.

[@truckingkaiseradventures2366]

Always love your videos. At first my hubby had trouble with your accent but he does with most but he now has no problems and enjoys the videos also.

[@nikkipappas9064]

Yet another movie I watched specifically so I could follow it with your video! Thank you for yet another excellent recommendation and AWESOME commentary!

[@MillennialMedia247]

Thanks for covering this flick, Ryan. I remember finding out about this film just after the kid from Netflix's The Babysitter was shown in the trailer for it and thinking this has some of that kids on bikes 80s tropes I'm a sucker for and then being completely shooken up with that ending. It feels like one of the few horror movies that said ya know what? Let's have a totally unique and batcrap crazy ending that's gonna stick with people and it has.

[@IraLuxuria]

I always look forward to watching your videos Ryan! Thanks so much x

[@Paraludic]

How have I not heard of this one? More of film KZbin needs to be like this. Genuinely thoughtful content and interesting recomendations.

[@samanderson5904]

Watched this movie years ago but every once in a while I wonder why it isn’t talked about, criminally underrated

[@OceanIgs]

Same I watched this before and I'm surprised no one talked about it!!

[@saturnknite]

I saw this on shudder when it was a shudder exclusive... I enjoyed it thoroughly and went back a few times to rewatch it since it wasn't overflowing with nostalgic references. The twist at the end was nicely told. Great job on your review

[@matthewgumabon7498]

I can only imagine what future movie makers are going to do when today’s era becomes retro and nostalgic. If an 80s childhood is apparently about fear of adulthood, love of adventure, and a distinct boom in legendary movies and musical performers… Then I’ll guess the 2010s will probably nostalgically be remembered for battling mental illness, a childhood spent chasing social media numbers, and an early adulthood struggling to pay rent but spending on expensive food and travel. (AKA, the life of the average American upper-middle class suburban kid).

[@nachomiranda589]

This is crazy. I just watched this movie last night and today you posted this. Freaky. I really liked this movie though. I would've love a whole show with these four kids. Their chemestry and their acting was really good. The ending was shocking but so sad.

[@onemaddad3823]

I like the character of the killer in this movie so much more than the killer in “The Black Phone”. The psychology of this child killer is so much more on point with a real child killer than the “Grabber’s” character. The “Grabber” showed little to no motivation behind his reason for kidnapping and killing children, where in this movie, the killer has so many more realistic traits, that a real child killer would have. Coming off as harmless, charming, even adding the nice touch of him being a police officer. Where many real killer’s have an affinity for law enforcement, and in some cases, even wish they were law enforcement. The “Black Phone” drove me nuts because the “Grabber”, had a non-existing psychology. Not one we’ve ever seen in a real child killer before. But in this movie, the killer is much more realistic.

[@martinsane]

Thanks for running this one down, The film blew me away. Excellent storytelling, acting and cinematography. Simply a brilliant film, probably why middle America didn't get it/love it? After my first watch it reminded me of a Stand By Me/It meets The Burbs, mostly a young adult version of the Burbs.

[@lmc7233]

stopped half way through the vid to watch this movie and I am glad I did thank you so much for showing me this!!

[@moxxibekk]

I watched this awhile back, thinking it would be your typical kids on bikes scenario. Were there some underdeveloped characters? Yes. But the ending has stuck with me for a long time. I watched Super dark times during the same time period, and it was another film that was a punch in the gut when it came to a tone shift.

[@Ranixo286]

Yeah I wish Eats and Faraday had a bit more development. You see Eats' home life a bit at the end but nothing with Farady. And seeing their perspective in how their friendship with Davey fell off in the end after all of that. Not to mention the only prominent female character was basically a sexy lamp to be in an inappropriate relationship with our MC...which sure you could say is making fun of the questionable relationship with babysitter-younger boy troupe but they kind of do nothing with it, aside from them just not getting together in the end, but still seem to be on good terms.

[@corbencantrell2503]

Let’s gooooo, love seeing your videos! 🙌🏻

[@zackfake1253]

I swear this channel always falls out of my algorithm for months and then just pops back in with hours of new content out of nowhere, its great

[@jamiepalmer6452]

Cody Leach did a review of this movie recommending it and that was the only reason I ever heard about it and watched it! Great video Ryan!

[@lyogazaki984]

Missed it when he came out. Thanks for speaking about it !

[@PoPo-xo6hu]

such a great video!!

[@Twy87]

I remember watching this not long after it was released in the UK and thinking the director had taken inspiration more from 'The Breakfast Club' than 'Stranger Things'.

[@jacotromp59581]

Magnificent film, and the ending of this movie stayed with me for days!!! It is so shocking.

[@ajtp1349]

I’m so glad you covered this. A top 5 favorite movie of mine

[@dohlecarnett1866]

Great video, Ryan. This film blew my mind as well. The atmosphere is so great but it actually sets up pretty well what'll happen later. This is consequential storytelling like at the height of Game of Thrones. I definitely recommend everybody to check out 'Super Dark Times' which is a film with a similar vibe and which, in some way, could be seen as the version of the alternative way 'Summer of '84' could've ended.