While the execution doesn't hit its stride until later, Bone Lake is a novel take on the erotic thriller/horror flick.
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There's a general truism about relationships. Only the two people in the relationship really know what it's like. That's not to say that every single relationship harbors terrifying secrets. More that it's hard to get a good gauge on how a couple interacts at home or what their hang-ups are without them telling you or seeing it firsthand. Every relationship has friction, and home is where most of that friction manifests. So what better way to torment an audience than by poking those weak spots with some oft-putting hot people in a giant mansion? Not the first place you'd go? Well that's where Bone Lake goes.
The Setup
The movie follows a couple, Sage and Diego, who have rented out an expensive mansion for the weekend. A last big thrill before Sage takes a more demanding full-time gig and Diego pursues a writing career full time. But the weekend is upended when another couple, Will and Cin arrive, apparently having double-booked the mansion. While the two pairs initially agree to share the space, it quickly becomes clear that Will and Cin's motivations are much more pointed and sinister than a fun weekend with new friends.
I'm of two minds about Bone Lake. On the one hand I like the movie's main idea. The thrust of the movie is that this is basically a stress test for Diego and Sage's relationship. Even before Will and Cin arrive, it's very clear that there's tensions between the two of them conveyed either through acting or shot selection.
You see how Sage reacts to Diego talking about writing or how she does or doesn't respond to Diego's attempts at intimacy. This plants the idea that both of them may want more from the other person and here comes Will and Cin who seem to relish in the idea of fanning those flames, either through direct enticement or being overly familiar to get Sage and Diego to open up.
You see how Sage reacts to Diego talking about writing or how she does or doesn't respond to Diego's attempts at intimacy. This plants the idea that both of them may want more from the other person and here comes Will and Cin who seem to relish in the idea of fanning those flames, either through direct enticement or being overly familiar to get Sage and Diego to open up.
But there's obviously something up with Will and Cin. Their arrival is already suspect. They feign ignorance about committing social faux pas that they clearly did on purpose. And most suspiciously they seem to relish the opportunity to put either Sage or Diego on the back foot.
So there's sustained tension in whether or not Sage and Diego will fall to Will and Cin's temptations and what their ultimate motives are.
Just one problem...we kinda already know what those motives are.
The movie opens with a scene that looks like a messed up hunt with two nude people, presumably a couple, running away from crossbow bolts unsuccessfully and then being posed in a fashion that mirrors a painting.
And I think this is a mistake, because it's not hard to piece together that this is somehow linked to Will and Cin and is the culmination of whatever the hell they're doing right now. The only thing to unravel is their motivations. This all makes all of Will and Cin's bad behavior seem too obvious even for a couple whose relationship in a difficult transition period.
As an example, Cin's first advance towards Diego is to claim she can't find her glasses and that without them she somehow needs help to go through her clothing including a bra and panties and then unceremoniously changing with full sight of Diego. So blatant, obvious and weird.
Which makes sense if your two villains are a bit psychotic but also kills the tension because you've confirmed just how bonkers they are about 20 minutes in.
The movie seems stuck between the incisive psychological thrills it wants to have (i.e. our villain's most effective digs are when they share secrets the other person told them) and the more over-the-top camp horror movie it is at its core.
So much so that you can feel the movie ease up when it doesn't have to keep pretending anymore and leans into the silliness.
Does this mean the movie is bad? Not really. It's more that the movie seems to find itself the longer it goes and that early period may not be your cup of tea.
I just wish they leaned into the absurdity as quickly as possible and didn't pretend this was an Adrian Lynne movie from the 90s for the first act. Sometimes a movie is way better when it leans into its trashiest elements.
The Verdict: Great Idea, Mixed Execution
While the execution doesn't hit its stride until later, Bone Lake is a novel take on the erotic thriller/horror flick. 6/10
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