Dead of Summer Is Rocking All Sorts of Classic Horror Movie Vibes

Updated on 7/2/2016 at 1:00 PM

This week, Freeform unleashed a new horror TV series called Dead of Summer. With murder mystery thriller Guilt by its side, the new horror show takes viewers back to the late '80s with a nostalgic Summer camp experience. If you're a scary-movie fan, we know your ears are already perked. So, is this the right show for you to pick up in the Summer lull? We're breaking down everything below.

It pays homage to classic horror. There are so many threads tracing back to cult horror films, which is great, because the show takes us back to the Summer of 1989. The whole Summer camp vibe is a pretty clear allusion to Friday the 13th, while the whole tightly wound group vibe really brings us back to I Know What You Did Last Summer. It's pretty clear these counselors are going to see some messed-up sh*t this Summer.
It's a (fairly) unique premise. A lot of modern horror tends to feel a bit unoriginal. While Dead of Summer definitely harkens back to the horror days of yore, it's got a few components that seem pretty unique. I love the idea of a place that acts as a hub for demonic energy and activity, and I think it's crazy that a Summer camp is right at the heart. It's more intriguing than an average murder-mystery show like Scream Queens, because the backstory seems much more rich and ripe for fleshing out.
It keeps you guessing. While watching the first episode, I couldn't quite pin down what would happen next, which made the whole experience more exciting. There's a nice sense of chaos bubbling underneath the surface. Has the evil always been this present, or did the arrival of these campers ignite something long-hidden? How does the past connect to the future? It reels you in and makes you want to continue watching.

It may be supernatural, but there's more to it. I think ghost stories tend to function better when there's a rhyme and reason. Of course, all cinematic horror tales have some sort of background attached to them, but some stories feel more organic than others. I like the idea of a young girl who carries the burden of death on her shoulders. There's a notion that this soil will always be riddled with supernatural energy. The horror sequences effectively blur the line between hallucination and reality.
It's setting up a massive universe. Much like American Horror Story, Fargo, and so on, Dead of Summer is actually an anthology series, meaning every season will focus on a different story. The coolest aspect of this show in particular, though, is that all seasons will have a deliberate thread. The stories may be separate, but they all tie into one larger narrative. Imagine the kind of magic that can happen as the seasons pile up.