Spoiler Warning
Two couples in a secluded residence located in the middle of the woods has become a repetitive horror film trope, and “Bone Lake’s” introductory kill leads audiences to believe the murderer is going to pull a classic slasher stalk and kill. The whole setup is cliche. However, this is not the case for the whole film. Instead of gradual appearances of a killer or cutting to the killer’s perspective, the movie focuses on the four main characters.
Sage, played by Maddie Hasson, and Diego, played by Marco Pigossi, find their romantic weekend getaway interrupted by the mysterious new couple: Cin, portrayed by Andra Nechita, and Will, performed by Alex Roe. Sage and Diego decide to share the mansion with the new interlopers. Unknown to them, their trip in paradise will quickly turn into a hellish nightmare of lies and manipulation, springing unwanted truths to light. With their lives in immediate danger, Sage and Diego have to escape the hellscape that is the mansion by Bone Lake.
“Bone Lake” leaves viewers waiting in suspense for the end rather than scaring them with countless slaughter of the innocent like other horror movies. While there is blood shed, these instances are few and far in between. Besides the opening sequence, there are only two other brutal deaths shown. One death shows a person having an axe lodged into their head, falling and landing on an active chainsaw, digging into and cutting up their face. The other death involved someone having their jaw almost chopped clean off, falling into the lake and being diced up by a boat propeller.
Another positive to this movie is that the characters are crafted brilliantly, with instincts that make their survival efforts much more interesting. They do not stay put when being charged at by someone with a knife. They run away from the danger; they fight and struggle to stay alive. Where the action is thrilling, the plot is lacking.. The movie only shows glimpses of Cin and Will’s relationship. The creators should have gone a little deeper into their dynamic so their reveal would elicit a stronger reaction. There was also a serious lack of communication between Sage and Diego. It does not matter if it concerned their personal lives or questionable behavior from Cin and Will. They refused to talk, leaving them vulnerable to Cin and Will’s deception. It makes viewers want to pull their hair out.
“Bone Lake,” despite its flaws, is a break for any viewers who want to avoid jarring jump scares and annoying main character decisions.
