When Holly’s dark secret is accidentally uncovered by her new emotionally unstable neighbor Tom, they are pulled into a violent confrontation with her father, who will do anything to keep the secret hidden.
Described as a “horror-thriller”, “The Winter Lake” doesn’t actually make it into either of those categories. The setting is the most godforsaken remote area of Northern Ireland for sure, but the “thriller” part of the film is far too slow in coming to the fore. Anson Boone is quite fine as painfully introverted teen Tom, whose hobby consists of collecting skeletons of animals he finds on the remote property once belonging to his great-grandfather. He and his mother have apparently been consigned there after some vague problem in their past has left them with no place to live but this sparse old farmhouse. Boone is about as introverted as a teen can get, with few words during the entire film, but he manages his character bravely with looks, glances, scowls, and visage so white he seems to have missed a good many healthy meals and/or enough sleep in a long time.
Charlie Murphy is also quite good as his mother but the age difference between them (their neighbor asks him “What was she, twelve, when she had you?”) creates questions never answered. However, she is convincing as a really young mother struggling with a role that doesn’t come easily. Age differences seem to crop up all around as the (supposedly) teenage girl on the neighboring property seems old enough to be the real mother. Perhaps that is an aspect of her makeup and seeming sophistication paired with the boy. Emma Mackey is the girl and she is the weakest of the ensemble in terms of defining character, maybe due to that speed bump. She’s beautiful and seductive and ultimately conniving but all is just a bit too slick and obvious and way too old for her years.
Michael McElhatton (“Game of Thrones”) rounds out the quartet of horror. He is easy and engaging in the beginning and skillful as his character begins to harden to terror. Just takes a long time to get there. I would say this is my biggest complaint about the film. The platform is okay and should have been able to delve and develop more initially to quicken the delicate slide into terror at the finale. There are just too many empty spaces where nothing is moving the story along and the “horror thriller” tag loses out. Actors 5, story 1.
Now playing in Select Theaters and On-Demand and available on DVD March 23rd
