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Season 1 – Cruel Summer

Play trailer 2:19 Poster for Season 1 – Cruel Summer Apr 2021 Mystery & Thriller Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
94% Tomatometer 33 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
In this anthology series, each season follows a new cast of characters who deal with traumatic events over several timelines, and how those events impact their lives.
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Cruel Summer — Season 1

Cruel Summer — Season 1

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Though it may have a bit too much going on, Cruel Summer's delicious twists and delightful turns from its young stars are never less than entertaining.

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Critics Reviews

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Brad Newsome Sydney Morning Herald 08/18/2021
This intriguing mystery series feels a little choppy at first, but once you get used to the fact that it's dealing out the story in slices of three different summers, '93, '94 and '95, the conceit proves highly effective. Go to Full Review Adam White Independent (UK) 08/09/2021
4/5
Cruel Summer unfolds like a beach read, dropping outlandish plot twists every 15 minutes or so. Go to Full Review Lucy Mangan Guardian 08/09/2021
4/5
If you can deal with the trifurcated timeline, there's much to enjoy and admire. Go to Full Review Charlotte Harrison Charlotte Sometimes Goes to the Movies 10/10/2022
Deviously twisty and turny. Go to Full Review Paula Vázquez Prieto La Nación (Argentina) 01/11/2022
Excellent work from Chiara Aurelia. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Kristen Maldonado Kristen Maldonado 12/28/2021
Chiara Aurelia and Olivia Holt are so compelling in their roles and will really have you switching sides as you learn more. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Beanz T @paige2011 Feb 16 Whenever I say a show is one of the best I've ever seen, I mean it. The first season of this show has all of those quirky details in it. I don't have much interest in watching season two, since I haven't heard great things about it. But season one..... oh my gosh. Since the first minute of it when they were singing an 80's classic "iko iko" I just knew that this show would be a hit. I really felt like I was back in the 80's. Between the style, and the overuse of songs by "the cranberries" (can you really over use "the cranberries"?) it was just chef's kiss. I haven't seen such an unpredictable show in a while and it was very refreshing. Overall, this is a must-see!! See more Flixster F @RT77094268 Aug 22 Overall, it's a good one and worth a watch. Unfortunately, the final episode is incredibly disappointing and a real letdown. The way events unfold feels lackluster, and the final twist doesn’t help much since I saw it coming. 6.75/10 See more Helene S @helene___ 05/31/2025 really entertaining and really well executed. i was hooked all the way through. only gripe is the visual filters added to distinguish each time period from the others - they were a bit distracting See more Ky J @RT73179203 06/12/2024 This show was literally so good. The ending had me gagged!!!!! See more Keyi Y @RT52379023 12/19/2023 A gripping tale, full of twists and turns you won't regret watching. Although there is quick alternating in between the 3 years, viewers never lose track of at which point of the story they are in. See more Good F @Nshvlleindie 11/13/2023 The best mystery since Season 1 Broadchurch (UK). If Freeform had an advertising budget, this would've beaten anything HBO has to offer. First off, this type of mystery has NEVER been explored, therefore every twist within the mystery is original too. The cast is PERFECT. The side characters, the parents, and the two leads compliment eachother perfectly. Seriously, I binged this season so fast I was sad I couldn't keep it going. The mystery itself is great, but the side stories are actually fascinating enough to keep you hooked without the main arc involved. See more Read all reviews
Cruel Summer — Season 1

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Bert V. Royal

Creator

Olivia Holt

Kate Wallis

Chiara Aurelia

Jeanette Turner

Froy Gutierrez

Jamie Henson

Harley Quinn Smith

Mallory Higgins

Allius Barnes

Vince Fuller

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Apr 20, 2021 Happy Birthday, Jeanette Turner In the '90s when a popular teen goes missing, a seemingly unrelated girl transforms from a sweet and awkward outlier to the most popular girl in town, eventually becoming the most despised person in America. Details Episode 2 Aired Apr 20, 2021 A Smashing Good Time The annual Skyline Garden Club Party; year after year, the residents of Skyline struggle with the truth around what happened to Kate, keeping their secrets buried and maintaining appearances. Details Episode 3 Aired Apr 27, 2021 Off With a Bang Jeanette continues to add fuel to the fire as her reckless behavior causes her friends and family to question her. Details Episode 4 Aired May 4, 2021 You Don't Hunt, You Don't Eat Kate, reeling from the lawsuit, prepares her defense and finds friendship in an unlikely source; the annual Wallis hunting trip becomes an important first meeting. Details Episode 5 Aired May 11, 2021 As the Carny Gods Intended Jeanette and Kate cross paths at the Skyline High takeover of the county fair, where one is desperate to prove herself, and the other to lose herself. Details Episode 6 Aired May 18, 2021 An Ocean Inside Me A new deposition threatens Jeanette's case; a discovery causes Cindy's suspicions about her own daughter to reach new heights as her relationship with Greg becomes further strained. Details Episode 7 Aired May 25, 2021 Happy Birthday, Kate Wallis Kate struggles with a family secret she's been holding on to; Joy tries to convince Kate to go on "The Marsha Bailey Show"; Mallory has a birthday surprise. Details Episode 8 Aired Jun 1, 2021 Proof On the first day of school, everyone learns that the drama of the summer is anything but over and that some people will pay more for the consequences of Jeanette and Kate's deception than others. Details Episode 9 Aired Jun 8, 2021 A Secret of My Own Kate's closely held secrets and fragmented memories of her time in Martin's captivity are brought to the surface. Details Episode 10 Aired Jun 15, 2021 Hostile Witness Kate and Jeanette's worlds collide as the court date arrives, finally forcing the two young women to answer the question on everyone's mind, but the answer comes with a price that not everyone can pay. Details

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Cruel Summer — Season 1

Cruel Summer: Season 1 Trailer Cruel Summer: Season 1 Trailer 2:19 View more videos
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Cruel Summer — Season 1

Cruel Summer Cruel Summer View more photos

Season Info

Director
Max Winkler
Creator
Bert V. Royal
Executive Producer
Jessica Biel, Tia Napolitano, Michelle Purple, Bert V. Royal, Max Winkler
Network
Freeform
Rating
TV-14
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date
Apr 20, 2021