Lake, The (2016)
Starring Jonathan Lipnicki, Anja Knebl, Ava Dalgaard
Directed by Elgin Cahill
“The human head weighs 8 pounds!” If you remember those words from the Tom Cruise sports agent film Jerry Maguire, then you probably remember the bespectacled little tyke uttering that line 20 years ago. His name is Jonathan Lipnicki, and HONESTLY, I’d thought the guy had dropped off the face of the planet. However, he has a role in the new film from Elgin Cahill, The Lake… and I’m sorry to say he’s one of the only positives to speak of with this one.
Centering around a new girl in town named Tabitha (Knebl), her introduction into the crowd appears to be a seamless one. You’ve got the small party crew, which includes a group of cheerleaders led by the sneering Blair (Dalgaard), and her sometimes boyfriend, Mason (Lipnicki), who is in charge of his younger brothers. Seems Blair still pines heavily for Mason, who gives her the boot, and when his attention appears turned towards Tabitha, Blair hatches a plan to make her pay.
With the heinous deed done and Tabitha’s body left to soak, the clan of teens hadn’t factored in her angry Romanian aunt, who conjures up a spell that reanimates her body and allows her to wreak havoc, exacting revenge upon those who’ve wronged her. Now you’d think, aside from the derivative “revenge-fueled dead chick” storyline, that we’d be in for a real treat… unfortunately, that’s where the hype stops on a dime.
There are FAR too many negatives to hold this film’s head above water, and interestingly enough, the one thing that I’d assured myself was going to be a negative ended up being the movie’s strongest piece. Lipnicki does a more than admirable job in his all-too-short run of screen time as the older brother who’s just trying to keep his siblings fed and a roof over their heads. When he disappeared from the film, so did the life as well. The scares just aren’t there; the acting is severely substandard, and I’m not one to pound a low-budget film into the ground, mainly due to the overwhelmingly notable projects to come off the line in the past few years, but this had the looks and feels of something that should be suited for a Hallmark Halloween presentation. (Be on the lookout for a goofy Sheriff Grimes character).
I’ve come to enjoy some of Cahill’s work in the past, but this Lake needs to be drained – QUICKLY.
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Film
Categorized:Reviews
