Summer War (dir. Alicia Scherson)
By: Adam Freed
For board game enthusiast Udo Berger, a nostalgic vacation with his girlfriend Ingrid at Hotel del Mar, a stately and historic Chilean getaway standing proudly on the shores of the Pacific, is exactly what the couple needed. With the promise to leave his passion for war board game simulations behind for the week, there is nothing but blue skies and warm South American sun to rock the lovers gently into a state of blissful relaxation. Despite the breeziness of their surroundings, it becomes clear very early that things are not as they seem for Udo, as his compulsion and infatuation slowly get the best of him in Santiago native Alicia Scherson’s bilingual thriller Summer War. By using 1989 as the backdrop for her film, Scherson (Tourists, The Future) drops audiences in the midst of a tumultuous political time in Chile, in which the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet was reluctantly giving way to a people’s democracy. Between Udo’s burgeoning romance, his infatuation with middle-aged hotel staff member Ms. Elsa, politics, and a murder mystery Summer War is both too much and not enough simultaneously. Had Scherson chosen a more narrow scope, then perhaps the meandering and wayward nature of Summer War may have gained some much needed narrative traction.
Berger, played by Dan Beirne (Ginny & Georgia, Priscilla), who also narrates the film in English, assures that he remains unlikable throughout the proceedings as any semblance of empathy audiences may send in Udo’s direction quickly dissipate under the heat of his glaring narcissism, self-loathing and drug use. While Beirne certainly looks the part of an obsessive board game enthusiast, his relationship with the stunning and eager Ingrid never feels rooted in reality. Ingrid, played by Lux Pascal (Narcos, The Prince), and sister of acclaimed actor Pedro Pascal, wants nothing to do with Udo’s obsession and wants nothing more than to be shown the good time that a visit to the Chilean shores have to offer. Ingrid’s character, and Pascal’s performance are a bright spot in a picture that has disappointingly few. Perhaps it speaks to the narrative intention that Udo Berger would rather sit alone in his hotel room obsessing over a board game than spending time basking in the sun with the stunning Ingrid. Other than the observable destruction this does to their relationship, Berger is a protagonist that is never developed to the point of comprehension.
Just as the countless narrative tentacles of Summer War envelop their protagonist, audiences too will feel overwhelmed by the film’s monotonous pace, which is confounded only further by its stark lack of meaningful detail. Like following a partially drawn map, Summer War promises intrigue just around the corner, only to realize that there is far less payoff than there was possibility.
Target Score 4/10 - Set against Chile’s political turmoil of 1989 as well as the gorgeous backdrop of a seaside hotel, Summer War is Alicia Scherson’s overly ambitious period piece that offers a great deal of promise, yet delivers upon almost none.
Summer War was reviewed as part of Movie Archer's coverage of the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival.
