Frightfest London 2025: ‘Bone Lake’ Review
Stars: Maddie Hasson, Marco Pigossi, Alex Roe, Andra Nechita | Written by Joshua Friedlander | Directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan
Directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan, Bone Lake is a terrific psychosexual thriller that delivers a series of enjoyable twists and turns before its eminently satisfying climax. To that end, it plays like a 21st-century version of a classic ‘90s erotic thriller, and it marks out Morgan as an exciting genre talent to watch.
After a cheeky fake-out that allows for some early nudity and wince-inducing gore, the story centres on Sage (Maddie Hasson) and her partner Diego (Marco Pigossi), whose recent decision to quit his teaching job and concentrate on his writing has caused tensions in the relationship. Clearly needing a break, the couple book a romantic weekend in a remote mansion house, but no sooner have they arrived than another couple – Will (Alex Roe) and Cin (Andra Nechita) – show up, claiming that they have the exact same booking.
Attractive and charming, Will and Cin persuade Sage and Diego to share the mansion for the weekend, but it soon becomes clear they are playing deliberate mind games, as each tries to seduce the other partner. But what are they really up to, and what’s their ultimate goal?
The script, written by Joshua Friedlander, comes up with a series of plausible reasons why Sage and Diego wouldn’t just get the hell out of there as soon as the other couple start getting weird. A key part of that is that Will and Cin are expert manipulators, as indicated in a relatively early scene where Will somehow convinces Diego that his completely insane behaviour (a darkly funny moment) is because he fears he will lose Cin unless he does something drastic.
Morgan’s direction is assured throughout, ratcheting up the tension and ensuring that each delicious twist and turn is timed to perfection. At a certain point, the masks come off and Bone Lake becomes more of a vicious survival thriller, with satisfyingly bloody results.
The performances are superb, across the board. Maddie Hasson is excellent as Sage, her various looks and pauses suggesting that she’s not really happy in their relationship, even before the mind-games start. Pigossi is equally good as Diego, a mixture of obliviousness and misplaced ego (it’s clear he’s not a good writer), while Roe and Nechita are great value as the devious game-players, masking their dark intentions with effortless charm and charisma, to the point where it’s great fun to watch them at work, even when you know they’re up to no good.
In addition, Morgan gets the tone exactly right, layering in moments of jet black humour, including a delightful pay-off in the final act. Similarly, the pacing is brilliantly handled, building to a crescendo of tension and gory violence in the very satisfying finale.
In short, Bone Lake is a hugely entertaining thriller that delivers suspense and thrills, while also making pointed observations about the balance in relationships and exploiting that for extra tension. Highly recommended, and it will be fascinating to see what Morgan does next.
**** 4/5
Bone Lake screened as part of this year’s London Frightfest. The film will be available on Digital HD on 24th November, distributed by Signature Entertainment.
