‘Falcon Lake’ Review – A Haunting Tale Of Adolescence

Directed By: Charlotte Le Bon

Starring: Joseph Engel, Sara Montpetit, Monia Chokri, Arthur Igual, Karine Gonthier-Hyndman, Thomas Laperrière, Anthony Therrien, Pierre-Luc Lafontaine, Lévi Doré, Jeff Roop

Plot Summary: In this feature film debut, a shy teenager named Bastien (Joseph Engel) is spending his summer vacation at his parents’ lake house. Things seem to be going just fine, as the young man idles his days away goofing with little cares in the world. However, when a mysterious older girl named Chloe (Sara Montpetit) enters his life things start to take a weird turn as the two forge a strong and unlikely bond.

Like many horror fans, I love a great ghost story. Spirits and hauntings are popular in the elevated horror genre. This is because they make for a rich springboard for material, using these entities as metaphors for trauma and pain. Falcon Lake seems to be just another one of these films to take wide advantage of this, yet it stands out from the pack. It utilizes its themes in ways that are both fresh and haunting. It also is one of the more authentic feeling movies to depict adolescent summers, which feels full of possibilities, yet shadows cast from the sunshine are never far away.

While the movie is billed in the horror genre, it’s certainly not one in the traditional sense. It’s more of a gloomy drama that neatly intersects with metaphorical terror, the terror of being in that strange time when childhood goes careening violently towards adulthood. Falcon Lake is about innocence, both found and lost. It’s one of those rare films that lingers on the edge of your gray matter for weeks after the credits roll. Director Charlotte Le Bon’s feature film debut is utterly brilliant on multiple levels. Every frame of this movie is so beautifully thought out and executed. Le Bon crafts this movie with the confidence of a seasoned pro, and as a debut, it is staggering in its craft. She really builds a palpable sense of dread and tension out of the seemingly most mundane things.

Le Bon does a masterful job of luring you in with the idyllic surroundings and the purposefully slow pacing. This makes the rug pull that much more impactful and devastating. That’s the key here, this movie is quietly devastating and disturbing without being bloody or overtly bleak. It’s not all the time that a movie can achieve this, let alone with a brand-new director. As pretentious as this might sound, the summer itself is such a presence that it becomes a character. Much like the overbearing heat that tears through The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, so does the sticky hot hazy summer in Falcon Lake. Not only does this further add to this oppressive feel, but the sun-drenched playground as a background for this strange love story makes for a delicious juxtaposition. This is of course all thanks to cinematographer Kristof Brandi, who paints the screen with gorgeous landscapes and manages to make small intimate moments feel utterly mesmerizing. Couple this with an unforgettable score by Shida Shahabi, and you have the makings of a truly unique and startling experience.

Of course, no matter how good the filmmaking is, a character study like this lives or dies on its cast. Joseph Engel and Sara Montpetit are excellent in their respective roles. Each manages to bring a level of vulnerability and range that will take them far in film and television. Both actors can do a lot with simple looks and finding things about their characters that are between the text.

Falcon Lake is probably not going to be a fan favorite, since it has a slow pace and doesn’t really conform to genre standards. Yet, for those in the A24 crowd, this subtle creepy teenaged drama has plenty of uncomfortable delights to offer.

Falcon Lake is currently playing in select theaters courtesy of Yellow Veil Pictures. The film is also available on Digital platforms. 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAN4m45RzgI&t=1s]