Delayed Reaction: The Kings of Summer

The Pitch: Some teens build a house in the woods to get away from their families.

How I Came Into It: I heard about this when it was at Sundance a couple of years ago. Names like Nick Offerman and Alison Brie initially piqued my interest. I'm also a sucker for a good coming-of-age story.

Why I Saw It: This is a pretty simple movie. Very Sundance. I couldn't blame anyone for confusing this with Me & Earl & the Dying Girl or with a dozen other movies from the last five years from that festival. The lead boys, Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, and Moises Arias are all solid. None of them have broken big yet, but one look at their IMDB pages tells you that one of them is likely to eventually. I spent the entire movie trying to figure out where I'd seen Erin Moriarty before (Answer: Jessica Jones). What really kept me interested was the supporting cast, including, Offerman, Brie, Megan Mullaly, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Thomas Middleditch, and Kumail Nanjiani. Whenever the movie leans into the comedy is when it's the strongest.

Why I Wish I Hadn't: This had all the parts that it needed, but it didn't work for me. This is like ordering my favorite food from a restaurant that I don't like. I found the lead boys, Robinson and Basso, more whiny than I should've. The love triangle just annoyed me. I had trouble believing the premise too.

Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend