"Lake of the Dead" follows six friends who travel from Oslo to stay at a remote cabin in the forest along a picturesque lake. Their friend, whom they are supposed to meet there, is mysteriously absent. The group are soon individually drawn to the lake, which is the subject of a local legend involving a man who murdered his sister and her lover before committing suicide by drowning himself.
This seminal, elegant Norwegian horror film plays out almost like a Scandinavian precursor to something like "Carnival of Souls," though in some ways it's more conventional than that film--but still, an essence of otherworldliness, or the uncanny, pervades both.
The influence "Lake of the Dead" has had on horror cinema is fairly evident from the beginning, and it is the ostensible progenitor of the "kids in a cabin in the woods" setup that has become a cliche at this point, but what makes "Lake of the Dead" so watchable is that it is also filled in with sophisticated, almost at times Hitchcockian dialogue, laid out in intellectual conversations between the characters. The writing is smart and rarified, and there seems to be a philosophical bent to the screenplay in which the lake itself becomes a proverbial (and metaphysical) void for the characters to be summoned toward, like moths to a flame. The photography is stunning--the piney woods and lake setting are wonderfully shot, and the whole film is seeping with atmosphere. The sparse sound design adds another layer of eeriness and desolation.
All in all, "Lake of the Dead" is an accomplished horror film that still plays effectively today. Despite its minimalist locations, it is a very elegant film that boasts intelligent dialogue, unique characters, and a somber atmosphere that is at times intoxicating. It matches its whipsmart dialogue and esoteric themes with equally impressionable visuals, and consistently leaves the viewer feeling as though they may be on the edge of something otherworldly. 9/10.
This seminal, elegant Norwegian horror film plays out almost like a Scandinavian precursor to something like "Carnival of Souls," though in some ways it's more conventional than that film--but still, an essence of otherworldliness, or the uncanny, pervades both.
The influence "Lake of the Dead" has had on horror cinema is fairly evident from the beginning, and it is the ostensible progenitor of the "kids in a cabin in the woods" setup that has become a cliche at this point, but what makes "Lake of the Dead" so watchable is that it is also filled in with sophisticated, almost at times Hitchcockian dialogue, laid out in intellectual conversations between the characters. The writing is smart and rarified, and there seems to be a philosophical bent to the screenplay in which the lake itself becomes a proverbial (and metaphysical) void for the characters to be summoned toward, like moths to a flame. The photography is stunning--the piney woods and lake setting are wonderfully shot, and the whole film is seeping with atmosphere. The sparse sound design adds another layer of eeriness and desolation.
All in all, "Lake of the Dead" is an accomplished horror film that still plays effectively today. Despite its minimalist locations, it is a very elegant film that boasts intelligent dialogue, unique characters, and a somber atmosphere that is at times intoxicating. It matches its whipsmart dialogue and esoteric themes with equally impressionable visuals, and consistently leaves the viewer feeling as though they may be on the edge of something otherworldly. 9/10.