By David Dent
The Airbnb horror movie is a bit in vogue at the moment with recent titles like The Rental and Barbarian. Mercedes Bryce Morgan’s latest nailbiter has two couples booking the same holiday accommodation. Former teacher, now writer Diego (Marco Pigossi) and his newly sole breadwinning girlfriend Sage (Maddie Hasson) are looking forward to a ‘clothes optional’ weekend, with Diego planning to pop the question, while getting some sex back into their lives.
Their plans are scuppered when free and easy Will (Alex Roe) and Cin (Andra Nechita) arrive, but any temporary awkwardness is overcome and the four, who instantly seem to gel, feel that the place is roomy enough for both couples.
Diego and Sage start to feel a little uneasy about the forwardness of their new housemates, and it isn’t long before everything gets a little hot under the collar, and faithfulness is tested all round. In the film’s prologue we’ve seen a naked couple get hunted and killed as trophies, Hounds of Zaroff style, so there’s clearly something sinister afoot.
Morgan’s movie isn’t necessarily doing anything new but she’s able to sustain a good level of tension with a cast of only four. Other filmmakers would have majored on chase scenes to fill the running time, but for the most part Josh Friedlander’s spare but effective script does all the heavy lifting.
Bone Lake is well worked out, unveils its twists at just the right moment, and has enough originality to compensate for the ‘are they dead?’ finale.
Bone Lake screened as part of Frightfest 2025.
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