By Monique
Written by: Brashaad Mayweather, Heidi Weitzer, Marquese ‘Kese’ Deese
Directed by: Terrence Green, Matt Enlow
Starring: Terrence Green, Brashaad Mayweather, Brannon Watson, James Hal Hardy
Synopsis (IMDb): Four college football players lose their scholarships; meet a madam aka female pimp and she puts them to work to make tuition money over the summer.
Monique’s review:
2023 has been a year full of stories about people gaining extra money by doing something, they might not have thought they would otherwise–stripping. From the film Back on the Strip (which I reviewed at Common Sense Media) and the release of the last in the Magic Mike franchise, Magic Mike’s Last Dance, to HGTV even getting into the exotic entertainment avenue with saucy home improvement show Flip the Strip, stripping has become a popular avenue for screenwriters who want to put their characters in morality-defining situations. The same can be said for indie film Summer with the Guys.
Written by Mayweather (whom you’ve might have seen in the live-action One Piece series as Patty, one of the chefs cooking alongside Sanji, played by Taz Skylar) and directed by Green, Summer with the Guys draws on Mayweather’s own experiences as a college athlete trying to figure out how to make ends meet. While he did not turn to stripping, his characters in this movie find their way to pay for their tuition by becoming one of the premier male entertainers at a local strip club. However, the way to money also leads to danger as the friends become wrapped up in some illicit activity that puts their lives in jeopardy.
The film might be made on a constrained budget, but the production quality could rival films that make it to theatrical release. It is a polished, well put-together product and it’s something I feel like could have been released by a bigger studio. The storyline and acting are also well done, with characters who can make you laugh as they go through their trials of making the almighty dollar.
Green not only directs but also acts in the film as DC, one of the core friends. In both the stripping scenes and other practice scenes, you can see Green’s dancing skill come into play. Before Summer with the Guys, Green starred in TV series Step Up: High Water as Rigo Octavio, and the same swag Green showed in the series can be seen throughout the film.
Watson and Hardy, also bring the laughs and moves as Jay (Watson) and Dan (Hardy). Watson’s comic timing in particular reminded me of characters who could have appeared in a Martin Lawrence movie, meaning that he could definitely hold his own as the lead in a comedy if given the chance.
Mayweather as Bmore provides the heart in the group, with one foot still in the realm of being something like a respectful church boy and the other in the realm of the secular with his friends. Even though Bmore doesn’t engage in some of the more salacious activity of his friends, Mayweather’s portrayal of the character allows the audience to find someone they might be able to relate to and use as a proxy for themselves. How Bmore (and to a certain extent, Dan) react to “between a rock and a hard place” situations might be how we would react if in the same predicament.
For me, Summer with the Guys shows that Mayweather not only has the acting skill, but also the writing skill to create a fun, engaging and hilarious film; I would not be surprised to see Mayweather make it big in Hollywood as a well-rounded creator behind and in front of the camera. Green has also shown himself to be a multi-hyphenate who should be given more opportunities to show his skill in Hollywood. I hope we can see more from this group of guys in Hollywood–not just during the summer, but all year-round.
Julian 