Joey Magidson
Modern horror films have had a field day dealing with rental properties. In particular, Barbarian and The Rental found terror in Airbnb properties. Now, here comes Bone Lake, which is set nearly entirely at a vacation property. There’s a different take on display here, as it’s as much a psychosexual drama in the first half as it is a fright flick. Then, towards the end, the movie takes a turn towards the gory and violent. Either way, this is a different and fun genre entry with a little more to offer than expected.
Bone Lake takes its time moving into the horror realm. For the first act, it’s almost more of a sexy relationship drama, with some humorous moments. Then, the second act gets into the psychosexual dynamics. It isn’t until the third act where things really become horror-centric. When they do, however, you won’t be disappointed.
Diego (Marco Pigossi) and Sage (Maddie Hasson) are a couple who seem to have lost their spark. The desire to rekindle things, as well as to give Diego time to work on his writing, has led them to go on vacation to a secluded estate. The rental property is a huge and luxurious mansion, so it’s the perfect setting for some romance. Unfortunately, the dream getaway is upended when another couple arrives, claiming its their rental as well.
Though initially confused by the double booking, Diego and Sage eventually agree to share the mansion with Cin (Andra Nechita) and Will (Alex Roe). At first, things are fine, even if they have little in common with the more upper class couple. Soon, however, it seems like Cin and Will are playing games with them, with sex a constant undercurrent. By the end, things will have escalated from lies and manipulation into a literal battle for survival.
The quartet are all pretty solid here, even if there are no real standouts. Of the group, Maddie Hasson is the standout, I suppose, but a lot of that is just her being given some amusing early dialogue. She’s got a spunkiness about her that pairs well with Marco Pigossi’s lower key nerd. Andra Nechita and Alex Roe have a higher register they’re working in, with fun chemistry, so everyone ends up interacting well with each other. The four are almost the only folks in the flick, so The tiny supporting cast consists of Eliane Reis and Clayton Spencer, so it’s on the four leads to carry the weight of the picture, which they’re able to do.
Director Mercedes Bryce Morgan and writer Joshua Friedlander are able to throw in a surprise or two in the back half of the film, which gives Bone Lake a little extra oomph in the third act. At the same time, Friedlander’s script doesn’t shortchange the non genre elements in the first half, while Morgan’s direction has a nice little style infused in it. There’s also a genuine erotic feel to things throughout, which is unexpected yet a pleasant surprise. The pacing could be better, but it’s a small complaint about a flick that does far more right than wrong.
Bone Lake won’t blow you away, but it does do a handful of unexpected things, which is a welcome surprise. Provided you’re not expecting this to be anywhere on the level of Barbarian, it’s likely that you’ll enjoy what you have here. Genre fans especially will be pleased with where the movie ultimately ends up.
SCORE: ★★★
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