Written and directed by Nini Bull Robsahm
Starring Patrick Walshe McBride, Ulric von der Esch and Iben Akerlie
Running time: 1 hour and 34 minutes

by Nikk Nelson

There’s something about horror films from places like Denmark, Sweden and Norway that I find to be inherently unsettling. I feel like in the Danish version of The Princess Bride, Wesley returns to Buttercup covered in diseased oozing boils and, at the end of the movie, when she jumps to freedom out of that window, she’s somehow ripped apart in midair by a swarm of crows and a single inexplicably rabid dove. That region of the world knows how to put misery on film. With that, and a title like Lake of Death (me being an avid Friday the 13th fan), I couldn’t resist giving this one a peek. I always want to offer up my reviews of foreign-to-me films with a grain of salt. Having not been born, raised or ever lived in Norway, there may be cultural references, pop or otherwise, that I completely miss when watching a Norwegian film. It’s entirely possible, had I only known of some folktale involving carnivorous ghosts and small rocking chairs, that I would have appreciated the work’s entire context. 

First, De Dødes Tjern (Lake of Death) is beautiful. Set design, composition and the musical score, especially, are all a feast for the senses. The film has an epic quality to it, beginning with the opening credits which reminded me of so many Stephen King cinematic adaptations. Which, it turns out, stood to reason as the man himself is referenced within the first five minutes of the movie. A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Evil Dead are also both literally referenced in the film. It’s obvious the filmmakers have done their homework. But, unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to save the film for me. The reason you do your homework is so that you can either totally subvert what’s already been done or pay homage to it in an original way. 

Lake of Death ultimately does neither. The story hits all of the notes you expect it to hit. The twist you can easily guess from the beginning. Although the actors and performances are great, the characters are fairly one-dimensional archetypes—four ridiculously attractive friends on a weekend retreat to a lakeside paradise but one of them has a haunted past—the kind of thing you’ve seen a thousand times. There’s nothing here for the gore hounds either. Perhaps this kind of movie isn’t as popular or ubiquitous in Norway, and that’s the intended audience, and so my desensitization after sitting through dozens of slasher films is dulling my appreciation. At the same time, I trust my instincts enough to say, put this one on for background ambience when you’re phone scrolling or folding laundry. Invite friends only if you’re worried about one of them not getting enough sleep. This one’s a lullaby. That being said, if and when these filmmakers and director Nini Bull Robsahm get ahold of a truly remarkable script, I have no doubt the result will be astounding. 

[Editor’s note-Turns out Nikk’s hunch was right. This film was based on a Kåre Bergstrøm film from 1958 of the same title which, itself,  was based on a 1942 novel by André Bjerke, also of the same name.]

Lake of Death premieres Thursday, July 16 exclusively on Shudder.