BONE LAKE (2024)

New in select theaters from Bleecker Street Media!
Directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan.
Written by Joshua Friedlander.
Check out the trailer here!!

Troubled couple Sage (Maddie Hasson) and Diego (Marco Pigossi) show up at a luxurious AirB&B for a romantic weekend. But soon after they arrive, another couple Cin (Andra Nechita) and Will (Alex Roe) arrive believing that they have rented the house for the weekend. The couples come to an agreement to share the house, so as not to ruin the weekend for either of them. But when the couples decide to open the three off-limits abd locked doors in the back of the house, they uncover dangerous secrets about the house and its owners best left locked up, setting into motion a series of events that may mean the end of both couples.

BONE LAKE begins with a naked couple running for their lives from an unseen threat. Soon they are shot and killed with arrows, letting you and I know that this is indeed a horror movie. As if me covering the film isn’t indication enough. For quite a bit of BONE LAKE, the film feels like an old school thriller one might have stumbled upon in the 90’s cruising Skinimax. Now I don’t want to knock BONE LAKE and lump it into that type of schlocky category, but the feel of the film definitely has Skinimax vibes as there is a heavy reliance on sex, manipulation, and betrayal. Elements that often were prevalent in upscale thrillers like BASIC INSTINCT and other Michael Douglas flicks from that era. There is an element of sophistication to BONE LAKE, as it does seem like a good amount of money was put into the production. The house and area it is filmed at looks extravagant, as does the look of the film which highlights the crisp details of the place. It all looks great, even though we are dealing with some pretty sexy and downright smutty material.

The performances are top notch as well. This is a pretty people in peril flick. Even the couple who are supposed to be less extravagant in the script are good looking. The true standout is Maddie Hasson, who I last saw as the sassy and sinful temptress in WE SUMMON THE SHADOWS. With a that haircut, it feels like the producers definitely wanted her to look like Florence Pugh, which was a little distracting at first. Hasson is a solid actress and making her look like someone else of her type feels like it doesn’t give her the credit she deserves. She is the best of the four leads and feels like an actress that can go far. She is given a lot of material to work on with Marco Pigossi, who plays her boyfriend Diego. Pigossi has a great clueless quality about him, but not so much that he is unlikable, just relatable. The other couple, Cin (Andra Nechita) and Will (Alex Roe), are less developed and much of the film is focused on how elegant and good-looking they are, from the perspective of Sage and Diego. So there’s less development there, in terms of character, but the good-looking couple does play good-looking well.

I’m being intentionally vague here. BONE LAKE is a film I don’t want to spoil, as there are plenty of twists and turns that occur pretty early on. Talking about plot points will definitely reveal too much that I think should be experienced rather than revealed here. That said, a lot of this film is predictable once you realize what kind of thriller this film is. Pretty much as soon as the couple met, I felt I had an inkling of where it was going and sure enough, that’s what happened. The film does a good job of amping up the tension as these couples begin to blend into one another in different, scandalous ways, ultimately pitting partner against partner by it’s climax. Again, this was something I found predictable, but still, all of the seductive intrigue was handled nice and sexaliciously.

It is nice to see an actually sexy movie for a change. In a day and age where things seem to be leaning more towards the puritanical, seeing a sexy thriller is a nice change of pace. All of the parties involved are easy on the eyes and are put into some pretty compromising positions as the plot humps along. This leads to a pretty action-packed climax that is not afraid to get gory and blood-doused by the end, which kept my gore-appetite satiated.

BONE LAKE is a tough one to review. I found it predictable pretty much at every turn. But the strong performances, the profuse use of action, gore, and sharp weapons, and the fact that they just don’t make sexy films like this anymore, makes me lean towards a recommend. If you miss those good old days when rated R meant a boobie or two along with blood, guts, and swears, then I think BONE LAKE is going to be something you should take interest in.