Bone Lake Review: Love, Lust and Complete Madness in the Woods
In Mercedes Bryce Morgan’s stylish and wickedly entertaining horror Bone Lake, a romantic weekend away turns into an intoxicating mix of lust, laughter and absolute mayhem. It opens with a naked couple sprinting through the forest while an unseen attacker fires arrows at them, and within minutes there is a very unfortunate injury involving a crossbow and some tender anatomy. The opening credits have not even rolled yet, and the film has already made its intentions clear. It is going to hurt, but you will enjoy it.
Sage and Diego arrive at a luxurious home deep in the woods, ready for a weekend of love and relaxation. Diego has big plans, including a proposal with his grandmother’s engagement ring. Sage is unaware of that detail, but she is certainly not unaware of how much she loves him. They are a genuinely affectionate couple, sharing the kind of easy warmth that makes you root for them from the start. Still, there is a little tension in the air. Diego has recently given up work to chase his dream of becoming an author, while Sage is keeping them both afloat with her job. It is a situation that could make anyone a little tense, but not enough to spoil their trip. Or so they think.
The house is beautiful, vast and silent. It looks like the sort of place that should be used for wine adverts and very tasteful interior design catalogues. Unfortunately, this particular listing comes with a few unwanted extras. Before Sage and Diego can even unpack properly, another couple arrives claiming they too have booked the same property for the weekend. Their names are Will and Cin, and they are either the most relaxed people in the world or the most alarming. There is no middle ground.
Rather than leave, the four decide to share the space. After all, it is big enough for everyone, and what could possibly go wrong? Within an hour you have your answer. Cin casually undresses in front of Diego as though she were at a spa, and Will struts about with the confidence of a man who has never heard the word boundaries. When he later proposes to Cin at brunch using Diego’s own engagement ring, even the furniture seems uncomfortable.
From here, Bone Lake becomes a masterclass in psychological tension. This is not a film about monsters in the woods. It is about the monsters that appear when politeness stops you from running out of the door. Mercedes Bryce Morgan builds her horror slowly, using awkwardness and social discomfort as weapons. You can feel every pause and every forced smile as the tension builds between the four guests.
Of course, curiosity eventually gets the better of them. The group begins exploring the house and discovering locked rooms that were clearly meant to stay that way. One contains an elaborate sex room complete with swing and restraints, while another holds evidence that the property has a disturbing history. From that point, all bets are off.
The film gives you answers, and they come with style. The slow burn of its first hour erupts into a finale that is as messy as it is satisfying. By the end, the polite small talk is gone, and what remains is raw survival. The sudden shift from awkward brunches to outright bloodshed works far better than it has any right to, and when it goes big, it really goes for it.
Maddie Hasson is exceptional as Sage. She brings intelligence and emotion to a character who refuses to be written off as a damsel in distress. Marco Pigossi gives Diego an easy charm, and even when he is being a little naïve, you understand him. Alex Roe and Andra Nechita are perfect as Will and Cin, exuding charisma and danger in equal measure. Together, the four create a believable dynamic that shifts from uneasy friendship to explosive confrontation.
Visually, Bone Lake is a treat. The cinematography captures both the beauty of the forest and the chill of isolation. The house gleams with polished surfaces and sterile perfection, which only makes the chaos that follows more satisfying. It is a perfect blend of glamour and grime, luxury and danger.
The best part is that the film never takes itself too seriously. There is a dark sense of humour running through it, and even in its bloodiest moments you will find yourself laughing. It knows exactly what it is doing, and it has fun doing it. Bone Lake is as self-aware as it is stylish, delivering shocks, laughs and just enough absurdity to keep things deliciously unpredictable.
If nothing else, it is an excellent reminder never to share your holiday rental with strangers, no matter how nice they seem. Bone Lake is funny, fearless and gloriously unhinged. It is the kind of film that makes you want to pour a drink, lock the doors and thank your lucky stars that you stayed at home.
