BONE LAKE

***

Directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan.

Starring Maddie Hasson, Marco Pigossi, Alex Roe, Andra Nechita.

Horror, US, 94 minutes.

Reviewed as part of FrightFest 2025 - UK Premiere

When described by director Mercedes Bryce Morgan as “BARBARIAN’s horny little sister” in her recorded introduction to the FrightFest screening, the audience seemed to sit up and take notice. What we had been led to believe through scant synopsis found online was that we were in line for a twisted erotic thriller. This now seemed to give the film an extra dimension. Could it live up to this shot of last minute hype? Well the opening sequence of a naked couple running through a vast forest from a crossbow wielding maniac at the film's beginning certainly grabbed the attention. The tone is further set after the poor naked fellow gets an arrow right in the knackers showing exactly what Morgan has in store for her unsuspecting audience.

Things settle down a tad once the plot kicks in after this frenzied opening. Young couple Diego and Sage are planning a vacation at the titular country home hoping to rekindle their now staid relationship. Staid in part because of Diego’s decision to quit his job to fulfil his dream of becoming a writer. With Sage having to take on the financial responsibility of such a dream there is an unspoken resentment between the two that may be the main cause of their declining physical relationship. Upon arriving at Bone Lake, they are dismayed to discover that in a mistaken case of double booking, their weekend for two has been invaded by Cin and Will, a carefree couple who may suffer from being too physical and intimate with each other. Striking a deal to share the large mansion, the two couples soon find themselves becoming entwined with each other in a number of twisted ways as they explore the troubling history and mysteries of their holiday home.

As a piece of slick, steamy and bloody entertainment, BONE LAKE certainly delivers. With its small cast of characters, Morgan’s direction, from Joshua Friedlander’s script, neatly skews the relationship dynamics between the two couples in a number of interesting and amusing ways. The film also serves as a throwback to 90’s cinema when erotic thrillers like this were a dime a dozen, whether onscreen or on late night TV. Although it may not live up to the director’s comparison made to Zach Cregger’s debut, the smart plotting and shifting perspectives giving way to a blackly comic and blood soaked climax make for a lot of fun especially with its amusing final shot. It certainly suggests a more than promising future for Bryce Morgan as director also.

Iain MacLeod