Bone Lake is an erotic horror that constantly teases. Sage (Maddie Hasson, Malignant) and Diego (Marco Pigossi, Gen V) are going to spend a secluded weekend together. Not long after arriving, another couple shows up. The double booking leads to a weekend of sex, lies, and manipulation.
Incorrect Airbnb bookings are the college students headed out to a cabin in the woods of the modern horror landscape. It is the set up for a number of movies in the genre. This is not necessarily a bad thing – just look at the number of classic cabin in the woods slashers – but it does mean that Bone Lake has to do a little something extra to stand out.
The opening moments show that director Mercedes Bryce Morgan (Spoonful of Sugar)is up to the challenge. A nude man and woman run through the forest as they are chased by an unknown pursuer. The end result is unsurprising, but the graphic nature of the scene is funny and gross. It seemingly sets the tone for what the audience is about to see.
Bone Lake will surprise everyone by tuning things down significantly. There is little nudity the rest of the way and majority of the violence is saved for the climax. In its place is a tight psychological thriller that is just as potent as the in your face cold open. The film does an excellent job of titillating. The promise of something more is always there and just when it seems like it is going to come, the scene shifts.
This plays perfectly into the plot. The weekend centers around exploiting and maneuvering people. Bone Lake reveals its tormentors early, which enables it to focus on what it is they are doing to their victims. The film is filled with moments that will cause gasps at the sheer audacity of viciousness of what is being done.
As the title suggests, Bone Lake knows how to have fun. Names like Sage and Cin (Andra Nechita, The Sex Lives of College Girls) are perfect for a lust filled weekend and the cast are all very attractive. Nechita is fantastic in her role. She oozes sex appeal, but just as importantly, she is a complete badass. By the end of the film, audiences will have fallen for her.
It is difficult to make an interesting erotic horror. Most films will go all in on the sex and violence while forgetting it is the story that makes it stand out. Bone Lake decides to dial down the over the top nature some might expect and focuses on its theme of trust. It is an engaging erotic horror that is alluring and entertaining.
Bone Lake comes to theaters October 3.
