Each episode is addictive, because it allows the audience to trust and doubt the two female lead characters at the same time. With all the plot twists, you will find that both characters are the victim and the villian at the same time. Yet, I feel sorry for both. Also, I appreciate how they don't romanticise an underage student and authoriative figure relationship like pretty little liars. Instead, it covers the grooming, a real issue.
247 Reviews
Watch Season 1, then just stop.
Meeshay18 July 2023
It is hard to pick a rating for this because Season 1 deserves 9 stars, but season 2 is barely 4 stars. When I found out S2 was not a continuation, but a new plot with all new cast, I was equally excited hoping it would be as good as S1. It doesn't even come close. I don't understand how this show went from being as good as it was in S1 to this junk in S2. I've watched all 8 available episodes of S2 so far and honestly don't know why I'm still watching. I think there is only one episode left and no matter what happens it can't make up for how bad the other episodes have been. TLDR: Season 1 is amazing, Season 2 is trash.
Great Story, Some Bad Acting
ndetkhgkz7 June 2023
Review for Season 1: An enjoyable watch that keeps it interesting with all the time changes (each episode is set over the same day over 1993,1994, & 1995) and different perspectives between the two leading ladies. However, some of the casting was distracting and detrimental to the show. Harley Quinn Smith was absolutely unbearable to watch, and ruined every scene she was in, and Andrea Ander's accent didn't fit in with anyone else. Over acted at times, but overall a fun watch and fresh concept that wasn't necessarily filled with a lot of twists, but an interesting plot. I'm excited to see how they continue the concept over to Season 2.
So glad I watched this!
westpointmajorette26 June 2021
I passed on this show until just recently because it just didn't look like something a grown woman would be able to enjoy. I got teen high school drama vibes and that's just never enough to keep me interested. I finally gave it a shot and thank goodness because it's easily one of my favorite series I've watched in recent memory. The way the story unfolds, the way it keeps you completely absorbed even though you only get more questions than answers until the last couple episodes, the cinematography and color schemes! And the acting. It was so impressive and by the end of the season you get all of your answers.
Fantastic ending!
dizzylou81816 June 2021
Didn't live up to its full potential
Just-A-Girl-1430 September 2021
I think this show had a lot going on for it but after watching the entire season I think there were a few things that ruined it. The concept was interesting, it got my attention at first but as I kept on watching I liked it less and less. I think the writing was too messy, the pace was too slow (some episodes had nothing interesting going on in them), the characters development was all wrong (especially from a psychological perspective), some really unlikable characters (Mallory for example was getting on my nerves a lot and I must point out she doesn't look like a teen either) and lastly there was too much unexplained behavior. By the time I got to the end I felt the time invested in the show was not worth it. I was expecting it to be more mature. It had a teen show feel to it and by the end even the twists were not impressive. It's watchable but not as good as it should have been.
Unexpectedly excellent!
rklemm0512 October 2022
I had never heard of this show, but it was among the recommended titles on imdb.
So I decided to give it a chance, while not betting a dime I'd end up loving it. I stand corrected! It had me "hooked, lined and sinkered" after 2 episodes.
First of all, it is not a teen series, although the main characters are actually teenagers.
Second, the plot is very good and bursting with twists that keep you guessing all along. The idea and of the 3 parallel timelines one year apart works great and seamlessly here.
Third, the acting is impeccable, the evolution of the characters over the 3 year span is flawless, and quite impressive, with a special mention for Chiara Aurelia. Olivia Holt is insanely pretty.
All in all, a great and entertaining series, that comes as an unexpected surprise. I'm glad I watched it.
So I decided to give it a chance, while not betting a dime I'd end up loving it. I stand corrected! It had me "hooked, lined and sinkered" after 2 episodes.
First of all, it is not a teen series, although the main characters are actually teenagers.
Second, the plot is very good and bursting with twists that keep you guessing all along. The idea and of the 3 parallel timelines one year apart works great and seamlessly here.
Third, the acting is impeccable, the evolution of the characters over the 3 year span is flawless, and quite impressive, with a special mention for Chiara Aurelia. Olivia Holt is insanely pretty.
All in all, a great and entertaining series, that comes as an unexpected surprise. I'm glad I watched it.
Had me hooked!
gallagherkellie27 September 2021
I'm in my 30s and I was wary about this show because I thought it was for teens. But it was actually super gripping and had me hooked. I binged it over two days. Yes there were some silly unbelievable things in it but there were lots of twists and it had you guessing the whole time. The acting was also good. I love that it was based in the 90s too.
Please watch this with me!!
ladyyve-6934623 April 2021
I am a 41 year old mom and I am loving this show. This hits right back to my own teenaged years in Texas. The clothes, the music, the hair all spot on. Well some of it is too 80s but the story is fresh and amazing!! Very good so far waiting for more!!
Please get rid of Mallory
brittanydufour812 May 2021
So far so good!!
cscott233121 April 2021
I think this is going to be great! Interesting storyline done in an interesting way. If they continue down this same path, this will be an amazing series. If they don't, well, I'll edit my reviews as I see fit. Several shows have worked in reverse and use flashbacks to fill in gaps and flesh out characters. This one absolutely does that, but they've figured out a few things to make it fresh and I like where they're going with it and so far, how they're achieving it. Got my attention quickly, and I'm hoping for many twists and turns along the way. So far, I'm hooked and will be anxiously awaiting next weeks episode!
Not quite great
ncentia18 June 2021
Decent, had the potential to be amazing, but ended up failing to live up to its own potential with a disappointing soap-opera level ending.
At its strongest in it's nuanced and sensitive depiction of grooming. Mostly convincing in showing the awkwardness and changes of adolescence.
The changes in character appearance and cinematography between years helped to reduce confusion about what year each scene is happening in. But it did mean that the 1993 hair, fashion and style looked a lot more like the 80s than the 90s and 1995 was darker and bleaker than necessary.
The music of the era worked well, but the slow, paired-back, female singer versions of pop songs has been so over-done and it is highly, highly over-used in this show to the point of distraction.
Mallory is a very annoying and unlikeable character.
After a season of a subtly unfolding story the ending seemed very cheap and flat. Not sure what the point is going to be of season two. I tend to think it would have been better to tell a solid and convincing story in one season and leave it at that.
At its strongest in it's nuanced and sensitive depiction of grooming. Mostly convincing in showing the awkwardness and changes of adolescence.
The changes in character appearance and cinematography between years helped to reduce confusion about what year each scene is happening in. But it did mean that the 1993 hair, fashion and style looked a lot more like the 80s than the 90s and 1995 was darker and bleaker than necessary.
The music of the era worked well, but the slow, paired-back, female singer versions of pop songs has been so over-done and it is highly, highly over-used in this show to the point of distraction.
Mallory is a very annoying and unlikeable character.
After a season of a subtly unfolding story the ending seemed very cheap and flat. Not sure what the point is going to be of season two. I tend to think it would have been better to tell a solid and convincing story in one season and leave it at that.
What is happening?
maydregirl9 July 2023
Season was 1...nothing Oscar worthy but was a solid season that kept you engaged in what was happening. Even though it's obviously more catered to a younger generation, it was enjoyable.
But what is happening with season 2? The story is weak, and the acting is weaker. I kept hoping it would get better but alas, no it's just the same thing over and over and at this point I'm not sure I care who did what to who or why. Again I know that Freeform and their shows are geared for a younger crowd, but this is insulting to even them to have to watch. Just do yourself a favor and skip it for something else.
But what is happening with season 2? The story is weak, and the acting is weaker. I kept hoping it would get better but alas, no it's just the same thing over and over and at this point I'm not sure I care who did what to who or why. Again I know that Freeform and their shows are geared for a younger crowd, but this is insulting to even them to have to watch. Just do yourself a favor and skip it for something else.
Pretty good
caliminou15 May 2021
Intriguing to say the least
calamaricookie28 April 2021
I guess
linxieru-0635728 May 2021
I really want to like this show, which is why I've kept watching it so far. I actually really despised this show when it came out, but I kept watching and eventually, it started growing on me. However, the show has a huge issue I just can't look away from. It makes me cringe in every single episode. The use of "Computer/laptops" in this show is NOT realistic for the time period. You have people using laptops to chat online in 1994? The internet was barely invented, WIFI straight up wasn't even a thing yet, and here you have some girl typing "online" from her laptop on the couch...There are so many forms of communication that teenagers took advantage of in the 90s. But for some reason the show decides to use 2000s technology instead. I think it's just a lazy way to push the narrative of the show.
Also, I find Jeanette really annoying. I find her endlessly irritating in 1993, selfish and entitled in 1994, and in 1995 she just looks angry and pissed off all the time. There just isn't a time period where I like this girl. Even if Jeanette is innocent, which she probably is, I just can't stand her.
Also, I find Jeanette really annoying. I find her endlessly irritating in 1993, selfish and entitled in 1994, and in 1995 she just looks angry and pissed off all the time. There just isn't a time period where I like this girl. Even if Jeanette is innocent, which she probably is, I just can't stand her.
Interesting, Well Paced Story
sandy77717 June 2021
FreeForm finally has as show worth watching. Cruel Summer provides an interesting and well executed idea of moving between the same day at three one-year intervals. I give kudos to the writers for the ability to pull this off well. But this show also has interesting characters and plot twists. The two main characters are both good and evil and you're never sure who to believe. The two leads give strong performances. There were a couple episodes that fell a little flat. But mostly this show was well paced and compelling. The final episode (season 1, episode 10) was especially well done.
10 for season 1 and 1 for season 2
joelinboca887 July 2023
I found the first season great! Its been well over a year since seeing it but I remember being excited each week in anticipation of the next episode. Then came this awful and I really do mean awful 2nd season. It's so unbelievably boring. They tell you who is killed in like the first or 2nd epsiode and honest to God I don't know why I'm still watching. I guess to find out who killed the kid and why but if I'm being honest I really don't care. This seasons cast is so unlikesble. Every character including the 2 leads. I can't stress enough how boring the 2nd season has been. Unless there's some insane twist and basically the last few episodes do a complete 180 then I warn anyone who's looking for a show. Watch the first season and then move on to something else. The seasons don't even connect. Brand new story and characters. I keep wasting an hour each week hoping it will entertain me. But it doesn't. I really don't think there's a story. It's just 9 episodes of beyond boring crap to kill time until the big reveal I guess. Terrible!!
Inventive and intelligent thriller
johannes2000-124 August 2023
I remember the first season (2021) as very entertaining, even impressive, for the solid (but complex) story, the good acting and the inventive design, telling the story simultaneously in three different time-spans. I could say exactly the same for this season 2, albeit that the story has no relation to season 1 and the characters (and actors) are totally different. But again an intricate story of love, friendship, deceit and in the end murder; and again we follow all major characters and the story in three subsequent time-zones, with gradually in each episode unfolding more of the true events and the motives of the characters.
Again the acting is excellent, especially Lexi Underwood is very convincing as the mysterious, mischievous and sensual Isabelle, and I had a soft spot for Griffin Gluck. Sadie Stanley is as Meghan the pivot of the series, and does a fine job too, although I got slightly annoyed by her constant childish giggling in the scenes where she still was meant to be her innocent and untainted teenage self.
If anything, my main reservation concerns the aforementioned shifting through time, however inventive that may be. When you within every episode have to jump forwards or backwards in time every five minutes, this can get a bit tiresome; at times it felt more like working than enjoying, to keep track of the correct chronology. They provided Isabelle and Meghan with changed hairdo's and looks for every time-zone, so that helped a bit (although the change in Meghan was strangely extreme, from giggling goody-two-shoe teen to a slick, pierced, aloof adolescent, I mean, where did that come from?!).
With the very last scene they handed a nice bridge to a sequel; if so, I sure am game!
Again the acting is excellent, especially Lexi Underwood is very convincing as the mysterious, mischievous and sensual Isabelle, and I had a soft spot for Griffin Gluck. Sadie Stanley is as Meghan the pivot of the series, and does a fine job too, although I got slightly annoyed by her constant childish giggling in the scenes where she still was meant to be her innocent and untainted teenage self.
If anything, my main reservation concerns the aforementioned shifting through time, however inventive that may be. When you within every episode have to jump forwards or backwards in time every five minutes, this can get a bit tiresome; at times it felt more like working than enjoying, to keep track of the correct chronology. They provided Isabelle and Meghan with changed hairdo's and looks for every time-zone, so that helped a bit (although the change in Meghan was strangely extreme, from giggling goody-two-shoe teen to a slick, pierced, aloof adolescent, I mean, where did that come from?!).
With the very last scene they handed a nice bridge to a sequel; if so, I sure am game!
The most talented actor is Jaenette's character
magyarigirl25 June 2021
This series is pretty good, some of the actings aren't so much. Chiara is definitely a bright star in it. She is the most nuanced and most naturally talented of all, she definitely has a future in acting. Some of the scripts are mediocre tho, and boring, but the story is interesting. Some of the plot isn't credible either.
Surprising Gem
heartlyss_15 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Slow-burn teen drama with plenty of twists and turns. When I first saw ads for Cruel Summer before it premiered, I wasn't interested at all. I rolled my eyes and kind of forgot about it. I don't remember why, but I eventually decided to give it a chance one day. The entire first season was already on Hulu and it had been announced there would be a second season. The first episode surprisingly reeled me in and I was hooked. It's a mystery with lots of drama. I like the concept and it's executed well. The marketing for it wasn't so great in my opinion, but the actual show is fun to watch unfold. A lot of reviews on here claim that it's too slow and hard to get through, but I found every episode entertaining from start to finish. I'm looking forward to watching season 2. Great casting. The script and overall writing is better than a lot of shows in the same genre. The pacing was done well. The music selection fits perfectly. The show is a bit dark in general, but especially that very last scene of season 1. That was a nice little surprise to add in there. It added to the complexity of Jeanette's character. It also made it clear that everything wasn't wrapped up perfectly like it seemed. There's still secrets and darkness lurking within people even after you think the whole truth has come out. That short moment was powerful and showed how powerful or rather manipulative Jeanette really is. She's innocent of what Kate accused her of, but not truly innocent at all. She's actually pretty cruel when you think about it. Cruel Summer isn't groundbreaking or anything like that, but it's enjoyable for sure. I feel like this show would mostly appeal to teens and young adults, but I could see people in their 30s or older enjoying it as well. If you like watching the ID channel (Investigation Discovery), mysteries, or dramas in general, you might really like this series.
Longer than necessary
mariocordova16 August 2021
wah...huh?
KreamLeehan12 May 2021
What the heck was that ending?! What the heck was that 90 degree turn of the plot?! Also, I've been dying for court scene and they only showed it at the last episode, and they made it only part of it as well. I think the whole court scene wasn't even 10 minutes. The studio built the whole series like the court scene is going to be fierce and messy and epic finale worthy but what they actually give you is this piece of cheese! Worst part is that there is going to be another season for a series that ended. Yea, apparently the story is not over, even though IT IS. Oh-!! Okay, I see what you're doing. You're going to use that very last scene to streeeeeeeetch already scattered plot, "once again", in next season. Hahahahahaha no- thank you kindly! No way you just did that! Story IS finished! It is finished and you ruined it even more! YOU!
Would've been better without Mallory
wendymfowler24 June 2021
Overall I enjoyed this series. It was slow in parts and could easily have been condensed into 2-3 fewer episodes.
I realize changing hair styles for different years can be an effective way of identifying which timeline we're currently watching, but please, for the love of all things entertainment, stop with the obvious and ridiculous wigs. Stop with the pigtails on a character who looks 35 (ok, maybe not quite 35, but Mallory definitely did NOT look like a high school student).
Speaking of Mallory... Everything Mallory NEEDS. TO. GO. I feel bad saying this since there's a real person playing her, but I. Couldn't. Stand. Mallory. I almost stopped watching because of her.
HQS, please take acting classes. Learn how to express anger/frustration better and seriously, open your mouth when you speak.
***POTENTIAL (minor) SPOILER*** In case anyone missed it, I think it's pretty obvious Mallory was in love with Jeanette and her being quick to react so explosively all the time was her trying to deal with her feelings.
I enjoyed the finale. Appreciated the wrap-up.
I'm pretty sure Season 2 will have an entirely different cast and plot. If not, I don't know that I will keep watching with Mallory in it.
I realize changing hair styles for different years can be an effective way of identifying which timeline we're currently watching, but please, for the love of all things entertainment, stop with the obvious and ridiculous wigs. Stop with the pigtails on a character who looks 35 (ok, maybe not quite 35, but Mallory definitely did NOT look like a high school student).
Speaking of Mallory... Everything Mallory NEEDS. TO. GO. I feel bad saying this since there's a real person playing her, but I. Couldn't. Stand. Mallory. I almost stopped watching because of her.
HQS, please take acting classes. Learn how to express anger/frustration better and seriously, open your mouth when you speak.
***POTENTIAL (minor) SPOILER*** In case anyone missed it, I think it's pretty obvious Mallory was in love with Jeanette and her being quick to react so explosively all the time was her trying to deal with her feelings.
I enjoyed the finale. Appreciated the wrap-up.
I'm pretty sure Season 2 will have an entirely different cast and plot. If not, I don't know that I will keep watching with Mallory in it.
Very well-written
bhamiltonesq3 June 2021
I love the show and I really do believe Jeannette. And while Kate is a victim; I just don't believe her. Something about her is truly not trust-worthy.
I love the altering timelines and it isn't too confusing to follow. Tons of unexpected twists.
I would say the only negative is the Mallory character. She is so obnoxious! And her voice .... just cringe-worthy! One of the worst actresses ever.
I love the altering timelines and it isn't too confusing to follow. Tons of unexpected twists.
I would say the only negative is the Mallory character. She is so obnoxious! And her voice .... just cringe-worthy! One of the worst actresses ever.
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