In the now-famous scene from 1996's Scream, Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy) lays out the rules of horror. If you want to survive those movies, follow the few rules that Randy lays out in this scene. All of these rules have been shaped and molded by decades of horror cinema up to this moment in 1996. Unfortunately, not a lot about these rules have changed all that much in the following twenty-four years. Sure, the subgenre Randy is discussing here is the slasher genre, but it's hardly exempt from the tropes of the genre. There have been a few examples of rebellion against tired tropes that restore my faith in the genre. Movies like Get Out, Midsommar, and yes, even Scream have proved horror still has a lot to offer.
I'll be completely honest, international movies are something new for me. Something about reading and watching simultaneously always turned me off. But then I saw what other countries had to offer in terms of films, and it immediately changed my tone because of films like Parasite, Alice (a French film that made its way into my top 10 of last year) and more recently, Gundala. Accompanying my international journey into films are the famous ones. A prime example of that would be Ju-On - the original Grudge movie from Japan. From the very few films I have come across, other countries seem to escape our tired tropes within the horror genre. I mean, for the most part.
Enter the Shudder exclusive Norwegian horror film, Lake of Death. The film centers on a pair of fraternal twins who get separated. By separated, I mean one of the twins goes missing. From there, his twin sister returns to their summer home for closure, only to be met with folklore coming to life. The folklore hook of the film feels very misguided. The narrative attempts to present two different legends and marry them together. The end result is, at the very least, boring and sloppy. Had the filmmaker solely focused on one or the other and given the audience a twist with said legend, this would be a different type of review. Somehow, even in the twist, the movie manages to wrap itself in tropes. I knew within the first act how the movie would end.
This movie feels familiar to say the least. I fear, if I expand that thought, it would spoil the ending for potential viewers. Familiarity is never something you want in a first viewing. Even the core cast of the film feel like they could be placed right into a Friday the 13th movie and still have the same arcs. There is no motivation for any of these characters. They are merely given to the audience for the sole purpose to fill the movie and later die. Our final girl, however, is absolutely the star of the movie. Iben Akerlie plays troubled fairly well. She is the only character not only fleshed out but with real range. She is the audience's emotional tie to the grand finale.
Overall, Lake of Death, is a film riddled with genre cliches, tropes, and copycat antics. Aside from lead actress, Iben Akerlie, Lake is swimming in empty characters, predictable decisions, and a mostly boring plot. Lake has missed potential that slips through its reels like sand. Akerlie is the only saving grace within these frames. Her performance makes the movie from start to finish. Lake of Death is yet another dull entry into the horror genre.
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Victims and Villains is written Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey (and produced by), Caless Davis, Dan Rockwood, & Brandon Miller. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. Lake of Death is property of Shudder. We do not own nor claim any rights. Lake of Death is now streaming exclusively on Shudder.
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