BONE LAKE
Starring: Maddie Hasson, Marco Pigossi, Alex Roe, and Andra Nechita
Director: Mercedes Bryce Morgan
QUENTIN
Bone Lake generally lives up to the expectations set by the posters and the fact that it’s a sex-driven horror thriller with a puntastic title, delivering suspense, thrills, and laughs throughout its brisk runtime. The tension, sexual and otherwise, is palpable, and while there certainly is a feeling of erotic-thriller hotness, director Mercedes Bryce Morgan manages to create that atmosphere without being gratuitous (opening scene aside). Personally, I wouldn’t have minded if it went a little harder and got a little steamier, but I can’t complain with what I was ultimately given. Bone Lake is a wickedly fun ride.
NICK
Bone Lake is one of those films that I found myself enjoying more and more as it went along. Although it has a tendency to play things a little safe (especially in terms of the erotic nature its promotional material suggests), it makes up for that in a couple of ways. For one, it looks at the dynamics within a relationship faced with challenges like temptation, manipulation, and compatibility; not to mention how two differing relationships co-exist under one roof. Its twists and turns make it hard to dive into things further, but it all comes together in a violent and satisfying finale.
BODE
If you know me, you’ll know that I’m never above watching hot people engage in some good old-fashioned psychological warfare. The more lurid it gets, the more enjoyable it is. That’s why I can’t help but feel a little underwhelmed by Bone Lake. Don’t get me wrong: there’s fun to be had, and it certainly doesn’t overstay its welcome. But its horny, gory thrills are held back by some respectability, of which it should really have very little. You gotta go balls to the wall with it. For what it sets out to do, it’s fine. It just could’ve been more.
This film was reviewed by Quentin as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of Fantasy Filmfest 2025.