Classics: A Review of Cruel Summer By Lauren Ennis

 Adolescence is a time marked by change, insecurity, and mounting social as well as academic expectations; in short, it's one of the cruelest periods that many of us experience. In the new hit series Cruel Summer the confusion and pressures of adolescence combine with a local crime to form a mystery that will keep viewers guessing until its final frame. At once an engrossing character study and a twisting thriller, the series sets itself apart from Freeform's typical teen fare to earn it a place amongst the year's best dramas. As school gets back in session soak up the last remnants of the season in Cruel Summer.

As the story begins it is 1993 and Jeannette Turner is an awkward, naive, nerdy teen spending the summer with her friends and loving family. Meanwhile, her wealthy and beautiful classmate, Kate Wallis, is leading a seeming teenage dream as the most popular and sought after girl in school. One year later, however, the series shows that Kate has gone missing while Jeannette has taken her place with both Kate's friends and boyfriend. The series then flashes ahead to 1995 to reveal that Kate has returned after spending a year held captive in the basement of the school's vice principal. The lives of both teens are then turned upside down when Kate publicly claims that Jeannette witnessed her being held captive and refused to help her escape. What follows is a mystery that spans three years and two perspectives in pursuit of the truth with plenty of twists and turns along the way.

Through its combination of innovative storytelling and intricate mystery the series explores the ways in which social pressures, personal insecurities, and trauma can bring out the cruelty in all of us. The start of the series initially presents both Jeannette and Kate as innocents struggling to navigate the murky politics of small town society, high school hierarchies, and fraught family dynamics. As the story progresses, however, the character of both girls comes into question as each is portrayed in increasingly contradictory lights. In this way, the series highlights the ways in which we all too often present one, idealized, version of ourselves to the world while keeping our true selves out of public view. This conflict between our public personas and our authentic selves is particularly pertinent in an era dominated by social media, in which we compare our own, imperfect, lives with the seemingly perfect images that we view online. Through its focus upon Jeannette's evolution from self described nerd to teen queen the series reveals the ways in which the desire for acceptance can become a consuming obsession. Similarly, Kate's strained relationship with her mother and abusive relationship with vice principal Martin Harris reveals the dangers of social pressure and the ways in which we all too often disappoint ourselves in our efforts to avoid disappointing others. The depiction of the girls' legal battle conveys the trauma that both have endured with unflinching honesty, while still offering hope for recovery. The series' approach to its central mystery as a question of 'how' and 'why' rather than 'who' done it adds additional emphasis to its central themes while developing each of the characters with complexity and realism. In the midst of its intricately plotted mystery the series also offers a journey back into the 1990's that is sure to satisfy your nostalgia craving while offering vital insights that continue to resonate today. Join Kate and Jeannette for a summer to remember in Cruel Summer.

The series transports viewers back to the 1990's with an authenticity that will keep Gen X'ers begging for more. Allius Barnes turns in an endearing performance as Jeannette's loyal friend, Vince. Harley Quinn Smith steals each scene in which she appears in her charismatic turn as mischievous misfit Mallory. Froy Gutierrez lends darker depths to his equal parts charming and callous portrayal of class heartthrob, Jaime. Blake Lee infuses Kate's abductor, Martin Harris, with a humanity and moral ambiguity that ensure that he is more than just another stock villain. Olivia Holt expertly portrays Kate's journey from teen queen, to victim, to survivor with an emotional honesty and maturity that belies her young years. Chiara Aurelia captures Jeannette's yearning to belong and scorn for a society that has rejected her with a mesmerizing ferocity. Together Holt and Aurelia's performances perfectly complement one another in portrayals that personify society and adolescence at their most cruel.

Combining teen drama with mind bending mystery, this ode to all things 90's is as tantalizing as summer itself. Through its tightly written script the series successfully navigates alternating timelines and perspectives without missing a single beat. The series explores such adult topics as trauma, abuse, and identity with a depth and gravitas rarely seen in teen dramas. The uniformly superb work of the cast revives the 90's nostalgia in all of us while relating a universal tale that will appeal to audiences from Generation X to Generation Z. Hit the hot summer streets with Kate and Jeannette in Cruel Summer.