Wolfhard and Billy Bryk are co-helmers, writers and stars of this film about summer camp counselors being stalked by a killer.

At 24 years-old, Jason Hochberg (Fred Hechinger) is officially too old to be into summer camp. But he passes up a law internship anyway to come to Camp Pineway and be a counselor one last time. Once Jason arrives, he’s not only the oldest counselor there; he’s immediately ostracized for his childlike eagerness toward camp activities. The rest of the counselors mainly have flirting and partying in mind.

But Jason has an ally in Claire (Abby Quinn), who is the only girl who doesn’t find his childlike optimism off-putting. When counselors start getting picked off one by one, Claire is the only person who doesn’t suspect Jason. She obviously has a crush on him, but he’s too distracted by his love of the camp to really notice until the murders force them to work together.

Wolfhard and Bryk are debuting co-writer/directors here, and it’s difficult to make a first feature. Technical issues can be unavoidable. Hell of a Summer indeed suffers from not having enough coverage, scenes not being properly lit and an editing style that has a tendency to undercut the jokes. The young cast is a bit awkward, not fully comfortable with the emotional demands required of the later scenes. But the style of humor is childishly delightful, with Bryk a standout. His journey from being frustrated that girls don’t like him to being hurt that the killer isn’t interested in him is the strongest joke in the film.

Unfortunately, the mystery of the killer fizzles out quicker than it should, even if the results are narratively satisfying. The twist is by far the most daring part of the narrative, really locking the characters into place for a fun third act. But despite the best efforts of the directors, Hell of a Summer just isn’t scary. Bryk and Wolfhard know how to tell jokes, but struggle with establishing a truly creepy atmosphere.

Hell of a Summer feels like a film made by a group of young friends, all much more interested in the experience of making it than trying to do something subversive with the story itself. The stakes are high but feel low, and many of the kills don’t get enough time or the proper framing to really sink in. And yet there’s a kindness to the film toward adolescence, in stark contrast to the slashers we know that punish teens for having a good time. Even as the kids are getting picked off here, fun still feels like the desired goal when all the trauma is over.