Underplayed Gems

Cruel Summer (2021)

Cruel Summer poster
Genre
anthology series, drama television series, thriller television series
Country
United States
Length
2 seasons, 20 episodes
Rated
TV-14
Rating
7.4 of 10 from 374 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this series is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

More series like thisWatch the trailer

or watch the trailer on YouTube

How it feels

This anthology series tells stories of teenage girls and how a mysterious disappearance or a fractured friendship changes their lives. Each season focuses on a different pair of girls and the secrets that unravel over time.

tensesuspensefulmelancholic90s nostalgiaslow-burnunsettlingmysteriousemotionaltwisty

What happens

Cruel Summer is an American teen drama mystery thriller anthology television series created by Bert V. Royal. The first season follows two teenage girls in the mid-1990s and the repercussions on everyone's lives after one disappears and the other seemingly takes her place. The second season follows the rise and fall of an intense teenage friendship between two girls in 1999 and 2000. The series premiered on Freeform on April 20, 2021. In June 2021, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered at the ATX Television Festival on June 2, 2023, ahead of its broadcast premiere on Freeform on June 5, 2023. In December 2023, the series was canceled after two seasons. The first season received critical acclaim, particularly for Holt's and Aurelia's acting. In August 2025, it was announced the series had been revived and that a third season was in development. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems. Not quite it? You can browse by genre, country and year, or take this one into the 3D catalogue and ask the Catbot for something closer.