Watch the Teaser for Cruel Summer, Freeform's New Mystery Thriller

Freeform's Cruel Summer, from executive producer Jessica Biel, looks like the ultimate throwback mystery.

By Lauren Piester Feb 26, 2021 9:28 PMTags
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This summer, Freeform is heading back to the '90s. 

The network is debuting a new '90s-set psychological thriller called Cruel Summer, which follows the disappearance of a popular teen named Kate (Olivia Holt) and its impact on the nerdy Jeanette (Chiara Aurelia). 

"All signs point to Jeanette's guilt, but is Kate really who she seems to be?" the Freeform description reads. "Set over three summers and told through shifting points of view, the series challenges perception and follows how one girl can go from being a sweet outlier to the most despised person in America." 

The trailer shows three very different Jeanettes before, during and after her experiences with Kate and asks, "Who do you believe?" 

Cruel Summer is executive produced by Jessica Biel, who's got some serious experience both in teen dramas (7th Heaven) and perception-based mysteries (The Sinner), as well as growing up in front of the camera. 

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During a virtual TV Critics Association winter press tour panel on Friday, Biel said those experiences "culminated" in this show, allowing her to be a support system behind the camera. 

"I think what was extremely cool and what is extremely cool is that this is a project that I would have loved to do if I was their age," she said of Holt and Aurelia. "I would have loved to play one of these characters, and to be able to create something for young women younger than me—a couple years younger—is really exciting. To be in a space with the younger generation and really give them this platform to talk about hard things that these young people are going through is really exciting for me and it's something we want to do for all people, but especially for women and for girls." 

Watch the teaser below!

Cruel Summer premieres Tuesday, April 20 on Freeform. Keep up with all the upcoming premiere dates below! 

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