At the time I watched Summer of Sam, it had an average rating of 6.6/10 on IMDb. For a while, I didn't think much of the movie, as I didn't think it was supposed to be very good. However, after reading Roger Ebert's praising review, I decided to check it out. 2 hours and 20 minutes later, I was amazed. How is this movie not talked about more? This is easily one of Spike Lee's best films, along with Do the Right Thing and 25th Hour. A small detail that tells a lot about what to expect is the film's title. Most people expected a profile of the Son of Sam serial killer. However, the movie is called SUMMER of Sam, which tells what the film is about. It's about the time period and the paranoia that gripped New York during the killings, not the killer himself. There are several scenes showing the killer's life, who is played excellently by underrated actor Michael Baddalucco, but these scenes do not take up the majority of the film. Though he isn't the main character, the film belongs to Adrien Brody as wannabe punk rocker Richie, who is slowly believed to be the Son of Sam by his paranoid friends. His performance is eccentric, dramatic, and just close enough to over-the-top to be believable. The film's best sequence is about halfway through the film, in which Richie rocks out to The Who in his garage, and the scene is dazzlingly intercut with Richie moonlighting as a dancer in a sleazy club and the killer doing his business. I must also give a large applause to the film's top notch editing and soundtrack which play a big part in making the film unique. Despite any negative reviews you've heard, I highly recommend this film for any fan of unique thrillers and Spike Lee's other work.
Review of Summer of Sam
