Big-screen erotic thrillers arguably peaked back in the late 80s and early 90s, both in quantity and quality, but connoisseurs of fleshy, murderous antics know that the subgenre isn’t quite dead. Deep Water (2022) and Fair Play (2023) both manage psychological thrills with a side of saucy nibblings — and both went straight to streaming. It’s an unfortunate truth given today’s marketplace realities and the combination of studios adverse to risk and moviegoers who’ve grown inexplicably prudish. Anyway, this is a long way of saying the subgenre remains, but it’s now a small-screen affair. The latest entry for you to enjoy in the privacy of your own home lets you know right out of the gate what its intentions are as it’s called, wait for it, Bone Lake.
Sage (Maddie Hasson) and Diego (Marco Pigossi) are a young couple looking for a relaxing weekend. The big house they rent is an extravagance, but the hope is that the time together will help smooth over some of the wrinkles in their relationship. Unfortunately for those intentions, though, another couple arrives having rented the same house for the same weekend. Cin (Andra Nechita) and Will (Alex Roe) are younger, freer spirits, and the four decide that sharing the mansion won’t be a problem. Fools. Secrets are revealed, libidos are teased and tested, and blood will be among the bodily fluids spilled before the weekend’s over.
Director Mercedes Bryce Morgan‘s fourth feature finds thrills and compelling character beats in a troubled relationship, and it’s the theme of trust that rears its head again and again. A man and a woman, who maybe don’t trust each other, a couple that maybe doesn’t trust the younger, sexier version of themselves, viewers who probably don’t trust any of these horndogs. Layered throughout are conversations that feel rare in their honesty and existence on the screen, but while they add some depth it’s the vibes and twists that take center stage.
The back half delivers a handful of somewhat unexpected story turns, but don’t go in expecting another Barbarian from this similar setup. While that film swings for the fences, Bone Lake and Joshua Friedlander‘s script keep things far more grounded and on point for genre fans. That’s not a knock, as it’s not the surprises that keep the momentum and energy at a steadily increasing rate. New reveals are doled out, but it’s the increasingly heightened tension — from doubt, jealousy, fear — that bring the thrills.
The script is smart enough, but Bone Lake rides or dies on its four lead performances. Nichita and Roe have arguably the easier roles as the sexually open, game-playing younger couple, but they do the work to not only create believable characters, but also ones whose sleazy manipulations have the sicko part of ourselves smiling with glee. (Don’t deny it.) Pigossi’s character is a bit more stereotypical as the fabled cuck being challenged in unexpected ways, but he’s solid. It’s ultimately Hasson, though, who commands your attention (and not just because she could be a double for Florence Pugh). Her character is multi-dimensional in ways that female genre leads rarely get to be, and Hasson walks a beautifully fine line as a woman who’s more real than good. Do you root for her or against her? It’s a fascinating inner debate that the film and Hasson create for viewers on top of the ongoing narrative.
It’s worth pointing out that, while the “erotic thriller” label applies here, this is far from the likes of what we got in the subgenre’s heyday. Morgan and her cast tease sexy beats without nudity to the point that it feels almost conspicuous in its absence. To be clear, nudity, whether female or male, isn’t a requirement, but for a film this open in its conversations, suggestions, and intentions, its absence is notable. Just as notable, and perhaps a bit telling, the only nudity the film does offer comes from a dead woman.
Bone Lake won’t remind of you of steamy, late-night thrillers on Skinemax, but it should scratch that itch for compelling thrillers aimed at adult audiences. More than that, it’s a fun one at times that manages a degree of jeopardy while still landing a satisfying conclusion that wisely keeps at least one doubt hanging loose in the air.
