Summering Review: Good Intentions Can't Save Flawed Coming-of-Age Drama

Summering tells a melancholic coming-of-age story in the vein of Stand by Me. The film follows four eleven-year-old girls on a tragic mystery during the week before the start of middle school. Their fears of growing up and apart are told along with concerned mothers who want the best for their daughters. The girl power narrative has good intentions but fails to be substantive. The primary arc leads nowhere after befuddling developments. It's meant to reinforce their bonds without a defined conclusion. I like poetic endings, but this one feels staged and unrealistic.

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