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Since I was a child, I have enjoyed watching monster movies, starting from King Kong to the Harryhausen fantasy movies and later Godzilla as well as Skull Island. Therefore, I was very thrilled when I got an opportunity to review a film like The Lake.
The Lake is set in Thailand and begins with the residents of a fishing community living by the Mekong River finding a gigantic egg. One night, while a few fishermen are fishing, they are shocked to find the egg is accompanied by a parent creature which is about to show itself.
Shortly after, the villagers are attacked by a hybrid creature that goes on a rampage to hunt for the egg and does not hesitate to injure or kill anyone who stands in the way.
There is some scientific research being done to see if the monster has emerged due to strange weather patterns. As the town faces constant violence and countless fatalities, it is revealed that this beast is still in its juvenile stage forcing a cop and two siblings who have a mysterious bond with the monster to figure out how to slay it while they still can.
This does capture the essence of The Lake, a Thai horror film that has a child in danger, a cop with a rebellious daughter, and all the archetypes that come with it. That type of film is common across genres and it does not come as a surprise. The book is even better than the film, as it tries to hide the CGI limitations through the use of shadows, rain, and, darkness. The actors have a huge role to play and, thankfully, they came through.
The practical monster work is decent and, for me, works better than the CGI employed. I personally found some of these shots as gold. There are also other notable monsters from the far east and they also did not forget to add their touches.
With that being said, I am still greatly disappointed. I truly believe that The Lake has taken the top tier position for worst monster movie.
The scenes in the midsection of the lake are horrifying. Less so than phenomena like Cogon, but some of it is definitely uncomfortable. The issue here is that everything I have described seems to have too many ideas or perhaps the opposite of that in regard the creators intentions.
These movies have a very delicate, intricate balance and it’s tough to achieve when considering what has been done while also trying to break new ground. Do you make a full blown popcorn flick or do you carve your own niche?
If you do decide to go this route, then you better ensure that you tell the best story possible within the limitations of budget, etc.
To be fair, someone else might enjoy pondering the comparisons that can be drawn between Monster and the human family, particularly in terms of the life spectrum’s importance.
My problem with The Lake is that there is too much room for expectation since the trailer gives the impression of a more classical, action-filled creature feature. I imagined the creature would rise to destroy everything in sight and only calm down when someone ruined the area. The beginning of the movie made me think this was the case, but gradually set me up to false expectations and burned me in the end.
As already pointed out, the thing is that it is good from a technical standpoint well shot with good practical effects. There are however some moments that seem lost in translation with the subtitles. This doesn’t detract much from the overall experience though.
The main issue is its reliance on well-worn clichés, its adequate script that neither captivates nor fails us completely and its timid approach to the monster action we need to forgive them for the story’s failures.
The creature does not want to be part of the action for some very long intervals. Instead, we see a lot of the surrounding scenes after the attack.
Some of them have been taken care of in the most predictable manner which is frustratingly uncomplicated. If you have watched plenty of creature films, you will see the finale coming from a long distance away.
In the end, assessing this movie has been challenging. It’s not completely terrible in every respect. Granted, the movie is interesting to look at. On the contrary, The Lake does not really pay off, which is arguably the worst thing a movie can do, scarcely delivering on the action. It does look good. For me, this action is really a prerequisite for an enjoyable monster film, which makes it quite impossible to recommend to those who love these films as much as I do.
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