The Story of The Last Summer: A Bittersweet Goodbye
The Last Summer captures that peculiar moment when you're standing on the edge of something irreversible—graduation day is in the rearview mirror, college looms in the distance, and summer stretches ahead like both a gift and a countdown timer. The film follows a tight-knit group of friends in Chicago, Illinois as they navigate their last few months of freedom before adulthood comes calling. New relationships bloom, old ones get reexamined under unfamiliar pressure, and everyone's asking the same unspoken question: will we still be us when September arrives? It's a premise that's been done before, sure, but the specificity of setting and character work gives it a particular flavor. The 109-minute runtime moves briskly through the kind of small moments—a conversation at a coffee shop, a late-night drive, a awkward family dinner—that define what it actually means to grow up.
Behind the Making of The Last Summer: Cast, Crew, and Netflix's Bet
Director William Bindley, working from a screenplay he co-wrote with Scott Bindley, assembled a cast with genuine crossover appeal. KJ Apa, fresh off his success on CW's Riverdale, anchors the ensemble alongside Maia Mitchell, Jacob Latimore, Halston Sage, and Tyler Posey—actors who'd already built fanbases in the teen and young-adult space. Netflix released the film on May 3, 2019, banking on that existing recognition to drive viewership. The production came together through Redrover Co. Ltd. and GulfStream Pictures, with the streaming giant handling distribution. The film earned a TV-14 rating, positioning it squarely in the after-school-special zone but with enough mature themes to keep older viewers engaged. Awards recognition came in the form of three nominations, which—while modest—suggests the film found some critical appreciation in niche circles. Box office returns for Netflix originals are famously opaque, but the film's continued presence on major streaming platforms speaks to its staying power as a catalog title.
What Makes The Last Summer Stand Out: Performance and Timing
Here's the thing about The Last Summer that critics and audiences seem to split on: it's genuinely sincere in a way that can feel either refreshing or saccharine, depending on your mood and your tolerance for earnestness. The performances—particularly Apa's—carry a kind of wistfulness that doesn't feel forced. There's a scene early on where his character realizes he's about to lose something he didn't fully appreciate until it was already slipping away, and you can see it register on his face without a word being spoken. That's good acting, even if the surrounding narrative doesn't always earn it. The film doesn't shy away from the genuine melancholy of leaving behind a chapter of your life, which sets it apart from more aggressively comedic takes on the genre. That said, the Rotten Tomatoes score of 33% and IMDb rating of 5.6 out of 10 (from nearly 15,000 votes) suggest that critics found the execution uneven—the screenplay doesn't always balance romance and comedy with the weight of its own themes, and some character arcs feel rushed or undercooked. What's striking, though, is that it's not a bad film so much as an ambitious one that doesn't quite stick the landing. The performances hold it together when the plot threatens to drift.
Where to Stream The Last Summer Online
If you're looking to catch The Last Summer, it's available on major OTT services—check the Where to Watch widget at the top of this page for the most current platform availability in your region. Movie OTT tracks streaming availability across Netflix, Prime Video, and other platforms, so you can see exactly where to find it without clicking through five different sites. Netflix, of course, remains the most likely home for this title given its original release through the platform. Availability does shift seasonally and by region, so that widget is your best bet for real-time information rather than relying on older guides.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Is The Last Summer based on a true story?
No, it's an original screenplay written by William and Scott Bindley. While the emotional beats—friendship changes, romantic uncertainty, the anxiety of leaving for college—are universal experiences, the specific characters and plot are fictional.
Q: Who directed The Last Summer?
William Bindley directed the film and co-wrote it with his brother Scott Bindley. It was his feature directorial debut.
Q: What's the runtime of The Last Summer?
The film runs 109 minutes, making it a fairly standard length for a romantic comedy—long enough to develop characters and subplots without overstaying its welcome.
Q: Why does The Last Summer have such a low IMDb rating?
The film received mixed reviews from critics (33% on Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences, with many feeling the screenplay didn't fully justify its earnest tone or develop all its storylines satisfyingly. That said, ratings are subjective—plenty of viewers find it charming and emotionally resonant.
Q: Is The Last Summer appropriate for teens?
Yes, it's rated TV-14, so it's designed with teen audiences in mind. There's language and some sexual situations, but nothing that would shock parents of teenagers.
Final Thoughts on The Last Summer
The Last Summer won't revolutionize the coming-of-age genre, and critics were right to point out its structural weaknesses. But it's a sincere, occasionally moving portrait of that strange summer when you realize your childhood friends are becoming people you might not stay close to. If you're in the mood for something that doesn't ask too much of you but offers genuine emotional moments—and you've got an affection for the cast—it's worth a watch. Sometimes the best entertainment isn't the most critically acclaimed. Sometimes it's just the right thing at the right time.
