Film Review – Bone Lake (2025)

      Bone Lake, 2025

      Directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan.

      Featuring Maddie Hasson, Alex Roe, Marco Pigossi, Andra Nechita, Eliane Reis, and Clayton Spencer.

      SYNOPSIS:

      A vacation at a remote estate for a couple takes a dramatic turn when they must share the mansion with a mysterious pair. What begins as a dream getaway devolves into a harrowing maze of deceit, manipulation, and sexual tension, igniting a struggle for survival.

      In Mercedes Bryce Morgan's Bone Lake, community college instructor Diego (Marco Pigossi) expresses his concern about becoming a cliché despite his aspirations as a novelist who wishes to write about relatable personal matters. His girlfriend, Sage (Maddie Hasson), who has shouldered the financial burden while preparing to start a career in publication editing, urges him to pursue what fulfills him.

      It’s also uncertain whether Diego's comment on cliché was intentional on screenwriter Joshua Friedlander's part, as he descends into another form of cliché when their seemingly happy relationship is challenged by the sinister, manipulative couple Will (Alex Roe) and Cin (Andra Nechita), the latter's name spelled with a C to avoid seeming too blunt in a film that lacks subtlety, present at the double-booked Airbnb.

      While there is a hint of intrigue in that the film does not center solely on infidelity, it explores the drama that emerges from mistrust and the unsettling need for answers to questions that might be best left unanswered, even if it risks dismantling a relationship dynamic. When it becomes clear that the entire narrative serves to test Sage and Diego's love—marked by the latter's insecurities and vulnerabilities—there's a twisted pleasure in the grotesque violence and in watching whether the couple can resist the overt manipulation.

      The flaw with Bone Lake lies in its lack of secrecy regarding its narrative intentions. Moreover, it’s not as sleazy as it tries to present itself, primarily holding onto a trashy major twist that feels either unnecessary or creates odd contrasts between the couples. The prologue teases a film that is significantly more disturbing before it settles into obvious psychological torment, making it tedious to endure until the circumstances escalate into a chaotic climax filled with sex and violence (both literally and in a song).

      The film casually jokes about a character's fear of becoming a cliché, all while becoming engulfed by such tropes. From the mind games Will and Cin play to the evident male fragility (with Will worrying that Cin might be unfaithful, even mimicking how Diego treats Sage), it comes off as stale, leading to an endgame that is clearly hinted at. Additionally, if intended to be a comedy of errors and manners, it fails to deliver on humor.

      Bone Lake aspires to capture the essence of Speak No Evil (the original, not the forgettable Hollywood remake) but misses the mark due to its lack of nastiness, dark humor, sleaze, or shock value. This might have been excusable if it had more depth, believable characters, and psychological tension; instead, it features chaotic climaxes filled with gory moments and a few genuinely memorable kills (at both the beginning and end). By then, viewers are already eager to leave, especially in light of the absurd twist.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★

      Robert Kojder