‘Wet Hot American Summer: 10 Years Later’ Will Make You Nostalgic And Confused (In A Good Way)

Wet Hot American Summer has always been ahead of its time — to its detriment when first released. The 2001 indie comedy made less than $300,000 at the US box office and got hit with a 32 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Thanks to DVDs and TV re-plays, it then developed a loyal following, which went into hyper-drive once the film hit streaming services. Now the rest of the world has caught up to the cult.

When Netflix announced they were making First Day of Camp it sounded like an idea so crazy it just might work, and it did! For Junkee, critic Simon Miraudo called First Day of Camp: “a wonderful, idiotic mess” and the follow-up season is in exactly the same vein.

Released today, 10 Years Later pokes fun at the current obsession with reunions and revivals dominating pop culture while spoofing nostalgia for the 1990s. It knowingly skewers the current zeitgeist — Twin Peaks, The X-Files, Will and Grace, nothing is sacred! — while staying true to the absurd spirit of the film.

Making good on the promise at the end of Wet Hot American Summer, the Camp Firewood counsellors meet at 9.30am in 1991. The crew are now in their late 20s and ready to make a day of it. The dream of the ‘90s is alive in 10 Years Later, and the shift in decade lets co-creators, David Wain and Michael Showalter, freshen up the gags.

In 10 Years Later, Camp Firewood is up for sale and there’s a conspiracy involving President Ronald Reagan (Showalter) and President George Bush Senior’s (Michael Ian Black) plan to buy the property. McKinley (Black) and Ben (Adam Scott replacing Bradley Cooper with an explanation that’s one of the best running gags) are new parents having second thoughts about the suss nanny they’ve hired to help during the reunion. Susie (Amy Poehler) is a Hollywood hotshot and returns to camp with her movie star boyfriend, Garth MacArthur (Jai Courtney in something good for once) but is unsettled by the new sassy drama director, Logan St. Bogan (John Early).

The show excels at organised chaos.

Meanwhile, Andy (Paul Rudd) clashes with the new bad boy of camp, Jeremy “Deegs” Deegenstein (Skyler Gisondo); Victor (Ken Marino) finally has a shot at losing his virginity; and Coop (Showalter) finally gets the attention of Katie (Marguerite Moreau). Oh, and the talking can of vegetables (voiced by H. John Benjamin) is back putting together a covert special ops team for a secret mission (Chris Pine proving why he’s the best Chris in Hollywood).

The plot continues the intricate balancing act orchestrated by Wain and Showalter. Scenes are like individual sketches that seem totally unrelated to the overarching story, but that’s not a bad thing. The show excels at organised chaos.

There are more intertextual gags with the show set at the beginning of a new decade. The film and First Day of Camp spoofed the ‘80s teen summer camp movies but 10 Years Later has its sights on reunion films like The Big Chill mixed with Gen-X movies like Reality Bites, Empire Records and Singles — the sight of Rudd’s Andy dressed like a member of Pearl Jam made me chuckle every damn time.

Adding another layer of absurdity is 10 Years Later’s adoration for ‘90s psychological thrillers like The Hand that Rocks the Cradle. It’s parodied brilliantly with McKinley and Ben’s storyline with a not-quite-right nanny played by a jittery, wide-eyed Alyssa Milano.

The cast is gigantic and all the returning characters slide back into the farcical world with ease. The chemistry of the original ensemble gives the gathering genuine warmth. With a little trick editing using footage from the film, Wain and Showalter add new counsellors played by Mark Feurerstein and Sarah Burns who riff on St Elmo’s Fire with love triangles and infidelity.

All the new additions to the cast feel like they’ve always been there because they fit in effortlessly, especially Early, Milano, Scott and Gisondo. The cameos are delightful but you’ll want to drop a SkyLab on someone if they spoil the surprises.

10 Years Later does grate in parts, however, mainly due to the Reagan and Bush elements. The impersonations start to feel indulgent and not worth the extended screen time they get. The season is only eight episodes — the same as First Day of Camp — but it feels longer in the back half as a few of the jokes bellyflop.

As we reach saturation point with nostalgic reboots and revivals, 10 Years Later has the sense to lampoon the trend while delivering another kooky visit to camp. Unexpectedly, the counsellors really do feel like old friends even though we’ve only glimpsed their lives through the trees of Camp Firewood. The reunion is as a joyous as it is bonkers. There are times when you will have to pause the episode to recover from laughing. Wet Hot American Summer continues to thrive in its revived format so well that it’s a miracle.

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Wet Hot American Summer: 10 Years Later hits Netflix today.

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Cameron Williams is a writer and film critic based in Melbourne who occasionally blabs about movies on ABC radio. He has a slight Twitter addiction: @MrCamW.