Shudder Saturday: Lake Of Death (2019)

It's strange that I ended up watching Lake Of Death just after discussing The Midnight Swim with someone because, certainly at the very start, I thought the two movies were going to be very similar. It turns out that they're actually quite different, with this movie being the better of the two, but that doesn't mean I highly recommend this.

Lillian (Iben Akerlie) is first shown in a boat, alongside her twin brother. We then see her a year later, travelling with friends to a small cabin by that same lake where she last spent time with her brother. It's not long until strange things begin happening, which some decide to blame on Lillian and her sleepwalking habit, and others put down to the local legends around the lake.

Written and directed by Nini Bull Robsahm, Lake Of Death is apparently inspired by the 1958 movie, Lake Of The Dead (which I haven't seen). Let's start with the obvious positive, this is much better than Robsahm's previous film, Amnesia (2014). Where that seemed to play out its standard thriller plot with a small sense of self-loathing, Lake Of Death at least embraces the many genre moments throughout, with characters occasionally referencing horror movies as they initially enjoy the thrill of their atmospheric surroundings.

There are individual moments here to enjoy, and some nice imagery that moves between haunting and less subtle scares, but Robsahm cannot just leave it at that. Sadly, she has to build everything to an ending that doesn't have the impact she obviously thinks it does, an ending so absolutely tepid that it makes you almost regret sitting through everything that came beforehand. Almost, but not quite, thanks to the better scenes that deliver some quality chills.

The cast all do well enough, with Akerlie very good in the central role. Patrick Walsh McBride may not have too much screentime as Bjørn, the lost twin brother, but his character casts a large shadow over everything, and he makes a good impression when he IS shown. Everyone else is either just orbiting Akerlie or, as is the case with Jakob Schøyen Andersen, on hand to provide some exposition and foreboding. This is done by making Andersen a podcaster who likes to explore tales of mystery and horror.

It's frustrating to watch Lake Of Death and consider the directions it could have taken. Robsahm seems to know the mechanics of the genre, but is either then pre-occupied with the idea of layering things and twisting them away from what would seem to be a more natural narrative flow, or she maybe just doesn't have her heart in it. But the more effective moments here seem to disprove the latter way of viewing her approach.

Despite my complaints, this is worth a watch. It's a good film. It just could have been even better if the final 10-15 minutes had been handled in a different way.

6/10

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