The Summer Book
October 27th, 2025
MOVIE: THE SUMMER BOOK
STARRING: EMILY MATTHEWS, GLENN CLOSE, ANDERS DANIELSEN LIE
DIRECTED BY: CHARLIE MCDOWELL
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 3 ½ STARS (Out of 4)
As an Irish-Catholic, I know a bit about things left unsaid—about conversations held back until the substance fades away. If there was a fight that morning, by afternoon, we’d simply act like it never happened. That’s how we handle conflict. In The Summer Book, the newest film from director Charlie McDowell, that same tension lingers in the air—a persistent sense that something needs to be said. Yet, within that unease lies beauty: trees with golden leaves, cool blue water, and the simple joy of a child. Immersed in this world, we watch love and maturity grow, revealing a story about family and the importance of expressing our feelings.
The film centers on three characters: 12-year-old Sophia (played beautifully by Emily Matthews), her father (Anders Danielsen Lie), and her grandmother (Glenn Close). Set on a small Finnish island during summer, it’s a retreat meant for peace. For Sophia, it’s a place to explore, cook, and connect with her grandmother. But her father remains distant, haunted by something unspoken. The absence of Sophia’s mother, never explained, casts a quiet sadness over their days.
What makes The Summer Book so authentic is its balance of sorrow and vitality. Robert Jones’s screenplay, adapted from Tove Jansson’s novel, combined with Charlie McDowell’s precise direction, captures the characters with subtle precision: a daughter’s restless energy, a grandmother’s gentle touch, and a father’s paralysis in the face of grief. The film moves like the tide—flowing from tension to joy- its lush setting of sunsets and island greens evoking the essence of summer itself.
Glenn Close once again proves her mastery of transformation. With her altered posture, hair, and gestures, she vanishes into the role of the grandmother- stern yet tender, unafraid of work, grounded in truth. Her connection with young Sophia feels deeply real, anchoring the film’s emotional core.
The Summer Book isn’t flashy. It thrives in silence and stillness, in the quiet space this family inhabits- together and apart. It captures the bittersweet essence of being alive, of childhood summers that become core memories. Like a photo album of fleeting days, it reminds us how what’s unspoken can still last forever.
The Summer Book is beautiful.
3 ½ STARS
THE SUMMER BOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE TO RENT ON DEMAND.
Written by: Leo Brady
