Kyuka – Before Summer’s End moview review

 

There are movies that captivate you with a tight plot, and then there are "mood films" that drift along with the summer tide. Kyuka – Before Summer’s End (2024), directed by Kostis Charamountanis, falls squarely into the latter—and frankly, it left me completely underwhelmed.

The Plot in a Nutshell A single father takes his two young adult children on a sailing trip to a Greek island, secretly hoping to orchestrate a family reunion with his ex-wife.A feminish boy and a a real  girl  Meanwhile, the kids hit the beach and quickly strike up a friendship with two sisters.

The families eventually gather alongside the sisters' father. What starts as a pleasant joint hangout turns into total disaster over the most ridiculous detail: the protagonist claims to be an avid fisherman during a period when fish have disappeared from the sea, only for the other father to discover he actually bought his "catch of the day" from a local shop!

What Other Bloggers & Critics Are Saying While I found the movie utterly lacking in essence, festival reviews from Cannes ACID and In Review Online offer a different take on why the film feels so disjointed:

• An Experimental "Video-Art" Style: Critics at Screen Daily note that Charamountanis relies heavily on chaotic, non-linear editing, reverse sequences, and 4:3 aspect ratios. For some, it’s "playful experimentation"; for the rest of us, it just feels alienating and devoid of real narrative drive.

• A Tale of Fragile Egos: Film bloggers point out that the bizarre fish confrontation is actually meant to symbolize the father’s fragile masculinity and desperation to maintain appearances in front of his estranged family.

My Final Verdict Symbolism or not, a movie needs a strong narrative thread to keep an audience engaged. The plot spins its wheels, the characters lack punch, and the entire production feels like a collection of disjointed summer home videos rather than a coherent feature film.

The only redeeming qualities are the lovely musical score and the breathtaking island landscapes. If you are looking for pure summer aesthetic with zero plot, you might enjoy running this in the background. But if you want a film with actual substance, skip it.

Have you watched Kyuka on ERTFLIX or at a festival? Did you find it atmospheric, or did you fall asleep halfway through? Let me know in the comments!