MOVIE TITLE: Griffin in Summer

This heartfelt coming-of-age dramedy premieres on August 29, 2025.

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour 30 minutes

IN A NUTSHELL:

The movie is about a fourteen-year-old, awkward ,and enthusiastic boy who writes plays. When he meets a handsome twenty-five-year-old handyman, his life and play will never be the same.

Nicholas Colia wrote and directed the film.

Already, the movie has received a dozen nominations and wins, including Founders Award for Best U.S. Narrative Feature, Best Screenplay in a U.S. Narrative Feature: Nicholas Colia, and Someone To Watch Award Nomination, among many others!

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Profanity, including F-bombs
Alcohol and underage drinking
We see a shirtless guy
Talk of abortions
Talk of sex
A young teenage boy discovers he is gay
The play Griffin wrote includes talk of infidelity and infertility

THEMES:

Friendship
Connection
A passion for the arts
Dreams
Childhood
Infactuation
Theater geeks
Jealousy
Heartbreak
Marriage

THINGS I LIKED:

There’s a surprising amount of humor.
The terrific cast includes Melanie Lynskey, Owen Teague, Abby Ryder, Kathryn Newton, and Nami Melumad.
Everett Blunck stars as Griffin and does an outstanding job in this breakout role. He is perfectly cast and, like the passionate character he plays, has an extremely bright future in the arts.
It’s heartbreaking to see where Griffin gets his inspiration from in his play.
The story is layered as each character struggles with perspective and life’s situations.
The film balances humor with the charm of a childhood dream and the sadness of serious relationship issues.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

I hate it when kids swear.
Some may find the protagonist to be too self-absorbed to be endearing. When we remember that Griffin is still a young teen trying to make sense of his own dysfunctional family, it’s easier to forgive his indulgences.

FUNNY LINES:

“Just when you think Harriet can’t get drunker, she gets drunker.” – Brad (Owen Teague)
“You know, people can really be like judgmental, but I don’t think it’s psycho if I like check my hot boyfriend’s phone every once in a while, right?” – Chloe (Kathryn Newton)