Comedian, actress and screenwriter Jillian Bell makes her feature directorial debut with a hilarious tribute to classic teen films, presented through the female gaze.
In Summer of 69, Sam Morelos plays sexually inexperienced teen Abby Flores, who spends her time earning bank on a video game streaming platform called Glitch. When she finds out her lifelong crush Max (Matt Cornett) is finally single and overhears his favorite sexual position, she enlists the help of the bold, enterprising exotic dancer Santa Monica (Chloe Fineman) to teach her how to master her sexuality in a week, before they graduate and go separate ways.
What ensues is a modern sex romp with classic teen movie stakes. Not only does the film speak to beloved titles of decades past, but it mirrors the hilariously awkward first times and cringe tribulations of coming-of-age, especially for young women.
Bell nails her directorial debut with an assist from Fineman, who also shines in her first starring movie role. Santa Monica is the perfect surrogate for the older kid your mom always said was a bad influence, but you’re forever grateful because they taught you much more about sex than the public school system or your awkward parents ever could.
Morelos plays Abby, the quintessential awkward teen craving the ultimate rite of passage, which she delivers with the appropriate balance of heartfelt sincerity and a hilarious naiveté that equal the recipe for a great teen film.
As Santa Monica inspires Abby to find the confidence to embrace her inner sex machine, their unique bond takes on more meaning than any high school fling.
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Fineman and Morelos’ sweet comedic chemistry is punctuated with laugh-out-loud supporting performances from Paula Pell, Nicole Byer, Liza Koshy and Alex Moffat as the Diamond Dolls strip club crew, along with Charlie Day as a sleazy investor coming to collect. Good luck keeping a straight face at Pell uttering the words “bean to tangerine.”
Bell also makes a cameo as an adult store clerk, who leads Abby on a fever dream through a dildo-filled haunted house to confront her sexual shame.
As a co-writer with Liz Nico and Jules Byrne, Bell’s love of the genre is also on full display, featuring a musical number in the opening credits, a cool vintage muscle car and an unsupervised house party. Santa Monica even drops several nods to her fave Risky Business, complete with a couple of dance tributes to the 1983 Tom Cruise film.
Beneath this whip-smart teen sex romp is ultimately a sweet film about trying to grow up too fast, as well as the importance of friendship and sex-ed.
Title: Summer of 69
Festival: SXSW (Narrative Spotlight)
Distributor: Hulu
Director: Jillian Bell
Screenwriters: Jillian Bell, Liz Nico, Jules Byrne
Cast: Chloe Fineman, Sam Morelos, Matt Cornett, Nicole Byer, Liza Koshy, Natalie Morales, Alex Moffat, Fernando Carsa, Paula Pell, Charlie Day
Running time: 1 hr 40 mins