From the producer’s of Twilight and the Madonna owned Maverick Films, comes Sam’s Lake. An A- Grade horror film that is equal parts suspense and evil genius. The film stars Fay Masterson (Eyes Wide Shut, Paparazzi), Sandrine Holt (Resident Evil: Apocalypse), and Stephen Bishop (Hancock, The Rundown), as well as a few lesser knowns, and is based on a true story.
The basic premise here is that a group pf dejected twenty somethings find each other in the big city. Each has their own personal issues and they (pre-film) have bonded together like a family. One of the group, Sam, lost her father the year before and her friend have agreed to come back with her to the family homestead for a mini-vacation so that she can get some closure. Soon after they arrive the neighbor boy shows up and together he and Sam recount a local tale of a boy being committed to a mental hospital and years later him coming back and slaughtering his family. Of course, they have to visit the “haunted” remains of the house and that’s where the fun begins! After finding a journal supposedly left by the deranged teenager the plot comes to fruition and you’ll likely be surprised by just what these naïve young ones find.
What surprised me most about this film is that its pretty decent quality. I was expecting a B Grade splatter fest but the film (while not big budget) looks great and the splatter fest never really gets rolling. What you end up with is a really interesting looking film that relies on old school suspense and drama to keep the story flowing. I’m surprised the major studios didn’t pick this up and finance a better version because it’s got all the makings of a hit and the screenplay is miles ahead of many of the more recent big budget horror films I’ve seen. Despite its predictability, Sam’s Lake is an excellent film that fans of “thinking” horror movies will likely enjoy.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
