Haunted Summer
Haunted Summer

Movie spotlight

Haunted Summer

1988
Movie
106 min
English

Authors Lord Byron, Mary Shelley (née Godwin) and Percy Shelley get together for some philosophical discussions, but the situation soon deteriorates into mind games, drugs, and sex. It is a fictionalization of the summer that Lord Byron and the Shelleys, together with Lord Byron's ex-lover Claire Clairmont and his Doctor John Polidori, spent in the isolated Villa Diodati by Lake Geneva. It is there they devise a contest to adduce the best horror story to kill the dullness of summer. It is also there that one of the world's most famous books was given life—Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Insights

IMDb5.8/10
Director: Jacques LoiselleGenres: Drama, History, Romance

Plot Summary

In 1919, a young, aspiring writer named John Keats takes a fateful trip to the wild, windswept coast of England. There, he encounters Fanny Brawne, a spirited and independent woman with whom he develops a passionate and tumultuous romance. Their love story unfolds against the backdrop of Keats's declining health and his relentless pursuit of poetic inspiration.

Critical Reception

Haunted Summer received a muted critical response, with many critics finding it a slow-paced and somewhat uninspired biographical drama. While some praised the film's visual style and attempts to capture the romantic era, others felt it failed to fully engage with the complexities of Keats's life and work.

What Reviewers Say

  • Appreciated for its attempt to portray the romantic era and Keats's life.

  • Criticized for its pacing and lack of emotional depth.

  • Some found the performances adequate but not particularly compelling.

Google audience: Audience reception data for 'Haunted Summer' is not readily available, making it difficult to summarize specific likes or dislikes from Google users.

Fun Fact

The film attempts to recreate the historical setting and poetic atmosphere of John Keats's final year, though it received little widespread attention upon its release.

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