Bone Lake perfectly combines psychological, erotic thriller and horror to deliver the best film shown at Fantastic Fest 2024.
We have all thought about it – what if our vacation rental home is accidentally double booked? What do you do? Do you look for another one or suck it up and become roomies with people that you just met? In Bone Lake, two couples reserve the same house for a romantic weekend away and decide to share it. It doesn’t take long before things start to get a bit crazy, as manipulation, sex, and violence, all come into play.
The thing I love most about this movie is that while it goes hard, it never goes too far. It is a perfect blend that will immediately captivate audiences and cause them to start questioning what is and isn’t real. There is intrigue and mystery, shrouded in sexiness. While you might think you know where things are going, I promise you, you have no idea.
What works so well in Bone Lake is that all four leads know exactly what type of movie they are in, and they play their parts wonderfully. Diego (Marco Pigossi) and Sage (Maddie Hasson) are in a long-term relationship. Diego has a “clothes optional” weekend planned for them as they hope to reconnect. On the other hand, we have Cin (Andra Nechita) and Will (Alex Roe), who are in the stage of their relationship where they cannot get enough of each other. They are constantly touching and affectionate, and always ready to explore one another.
These two different dynamics is what makes their unlikely friendship so exciting. Certain characters feel more vulnerable than others, which had me giddy with glee as I watched. There is manipulation and betrayal, but even the audience is not privy to all the information, causing us to consistently wonder what exactly is going on behind closed doors.
Bone Lake is erotic from the very start, don’t get me wrong, but it leans more heavily into it as it goes on. As the truth – and relationships – start to unravel, the story becomes juicy and exciting. You almost feel as if you are a voyeur yourself, and you really should not be watching the things that you are – making it that much more thrilling.
Once the big secrets are revealed, the violence comes in. The film itself fades from a psychological thriller and becomes a horror movie in the most delicious way. The third act will leave viewers with their jaws on the floor, as there is no way they will be expecting what is to come. Even if you have a little bit of it figured out, no one can guess where things are going, which is the best part.
The final shot of the movie is one that will live rent free in my head for years to come. As a fan of horror and thrillers, Bone Lake is the most perfect blend of the two that I have ever seen. It can be hard to keep an audience’s attention with just four cast members, but the top-notch performances, brilliant writing, exceptional direction, and incredible cinematography choices, it becomes an easy task.
Bone Lake not only has a story that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats, but it is also pure joy to watch because of everything I listed above. The stylistic choices are unmatched, and the camera shots become more and more unhinged as the movie itself does the same.
Having premiered at Fantastic Fest 2024, it went up against a solid line-up, and still held its own as one of the best of the fest, and easily the best non-mainstream film. Bone Lake is sure to have your heart-pounding and will leave you with a massive smile on your face.
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About Bone Lake
When two young couples are mistakenly double-booked into the same vacation rental their romantic weekend becomes a twisted maze of sex, lies, and survival.
Bone Lake perfectly combines psychological, erotic thriller and horror to deliver the best film shown at Fantastic Fest 2024.
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Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.