Critic Reviews

Ultimately, where Cruel Summer will end up fitting in a teen drama-meets-psychological thriller landscape that includes everything from Pretty Little Liars to Élite will depend on how satisfyingly Kate and Jeanette’s story ends. For now, though, the show is playing on Expert Mode, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.

For now, Cruel Summer is addictive and fresh — and with any luck, viewers won't get burned.

“Cruel Summer” will easily snatch up fans of “Pretty Little Liars,” but there’s just as many comparison points to “Big Little Lies” within this story of wealth and privilege shattered by crime. Both Holt and Aurelia’s acting keeps things moving, as does the series’ technical production. This is a delicious slice of fun akin to a great beach read.

Thanks to an agile cast and a willingness to push for the unexpected response, “Cruel Summer” ends up a pleasant surprise: A show with a grabby premise but also a great deal on its mind.

It doesn’t disappoint, delivering a whiplash-inducing storyline that bounces between a series of days in 1993, 1994, and 1995. ... Despite being both Aurelia and Holt’s biggest project to date, the series allows them to show off their considerable acting chops, as they essentially play three different versions of the same character over the course of a single episode.

Matters of agency, courage and cowardice emerge and the story starts to accrue depth along with the superficial puzzle of the kidnapping and who saw what and when. If you can deal with the trifurcated timeline, there’s much to enjoy and admire.

A mystery thriller cum nostalgia farm built from the best parts of Riverdale and Pretty Little Liars.

The talented cast, clever mystery, and ’90s nostalgia are a winning combination. For these summer girls, 1999 might be cruel, but for the rest of us, the show is the perfect summer escape.

The show piles on enough mysteries to make it intriguing and then answers some questions fast enough to be satisfying.

When it focuses on character and performances, Cruel Summer finds unexpected depth. It almost makes up for the slow-burn answers to the mystery of Kate’s kidnapping and what she might have experienced, whether or not Jeanette was involved, and how this entire puzzle is presented in an unnecessarily complex storytelling device.