‘No happy campers here…’
Bodom aka Lake Bodom is a 2016 Finnish-Estonian horror film directed by Taneli Mustonen from a screenplay co-written with Aleksi Hyvärinen. The film was inspired by but is not based on the unsolved Lake Bodom murders that occurred in 1960. It stars Mimosa Willamo, Tommi Korpela, Nelly Hirst-Gee and Mikael Gabriel.
Plot:
A group of Finnish friends decide to go camping by Lake Bodom in order to enact a reconstruction of the 1960 murders…
Reviews:
“Atmospheric and well-paced, Lake Bodom provides thrills and anxiety in equal measure, earning every drop of blood splashed across the screen. Lake Bodom has a relatively low body count, but if you’re in it for the gore, no worries: it makes each one count. In detail.” Assholes Watching Movies
“You may be able to foresee some of the movie’s mysteries, but you will never anticipate it all. A breathtaking underwater sequence. An incredible vehicle stunt. A devilish tie to the original crime. Lake Bodom makes all the right moves as a woodland slasher and as a thriller, and it is one of the year’s top ten horror movies because of it.” Culture Crypt
“It’s not a fun film in the traditional sense — as it deals with a pretty heavy subject matter — but it is definitely entertaining to watch how all of the puzzle pieces fit together in this really unexpected way. In the end, Lake Bodom falls somewhere in between a graphic serial killer thriller and a cheeky 1980s slasher movie, and that unique combination works far more successfully than one may predict.” Blair Hoyle, Cinema Slasher
“After the first big twist, triggered by the innocuous and horribly ironic line ‘my heart beats only for you’, the film ramps up the suspense in Hitchcockian fashion, including a suspenseful night-dive to retrieve something vital from a weighted corpse. All the characters are shown in a more complicated, engaging light as their own mysteries come to eclipse the true-life Lake Bodom crimes.” Kim Newman, Screen Daily
“While certainly not lacking in production or acting quality, what begins as a better-than-average, somber and moody look at teenage angst and fear falls into the trap of trying to be far more clever and surprising than it needs to be (which is odd given its 85 minute running time). Less should have been more with this story.” Shelagh Rowan-Legg, Screen Anarchy
“More guilty pleasure than game-changing reboot, Lake Bodom is not a subversive reinvention of slasher-movie rules, but at least it gives the formula a punchy and inventive workout. Two strong narrative twists within a crisp 90 minutes is pretty good going, even if the final crescendo of carnage lacks the last-minute sting some may be expecting. The overall tech package is a cut above most genre efforts…” Stephen Dalton, The Hollywood Reporter
“A must-see for fans of foreign horror, Lake Bodom stands out for its complex writing. While a bit slow through the opening act, the film’s climax makes up for any initial lack of conflict. As well, the diverse character motivations requires that viewers stay on their toes and watch closely. You never know who has it out for who and for what reason.” Michael Allen, 28 Days Later Analysis
Filming locations:
Lake Bodom, Finland
