As soon as this film opens, you'll probably feel like you've seen the set-up a million times before. Horny kids, a lakeside setting, a sinister force lurking in the surrounding forest. It seems like a nostalgic embrace of "Friday the 13th" and "The Evil Dead." But that's just how "Harvest Lake" seduces you. Although it treads upon familiar territory, the film ultimately thrusts viewers into a unique and unsettling world.
The beginning feels much like the opening of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," with four twentysomethings barreling down the road in a beat-up van. (Of course, this idyllic summer afternoon drive is bound to become a nightmare.)
Apparently opposites attract in this group of characters. There's Ben (Dan Nye), a friendly frat boy-type; his girlfriend Cat (Tristan Risk), a quirky sexpot; Jennifer (Ellie Church), the "good girl;" and Josh (Jason Crowe), the gay friend she brings along to distract her from Ben and Cat’s constant air of sexual desire.
The motley crew is out for a weekend at the lake to celebrate Ben's birthday. However, they're quickly hypnotized by a presence in the woods. The plants and fungi spring to surreal life, sending them all into a strange sort of sexual trance.
This is a funhouse reflection of the sexual tension already apparent in the group. Before the plants start oozing pheromones, Cat tries to persuade Jennifer into having a threesome with her and Ben. Meanwhile, Josh develops intense sexual chemistry with Mark (Kevin Roach), a strange man camping in the forest.
The forest life serves an embodiment of their sexuality — a mysterious force that's always hungry for more. Designed by the Clockwerk Creature Company, the forest's fungal creatures have a crude, tactile quality evocative of Rick Baker and Stan Winston’s work. You can practically feel the creatures' surfaces sticking to your fingers like sap.
Written and directed by Scott Schirmer, "Harvest Lake" is a fresh take on the sexually charged cabin-in-the-woods genre. It's an exhilaratingly otherworldly exploration of sex, complete with creatures well worth developing further in the future. Beautifully photographed and elegantly edited by Brian K. Williams, the film is as seductive as the forest life in its setting.
Based in Bloomington, Indiana, Schirmer and Williams are steadily rising through the ranks of the indie horror scene. Schirmer's debut film "Found" won several awards in 2012, including Best Horror Feature at the Phoenix Film Festival, and both the Audience Prize and the Jury Prize at the Nevermore Film Festival. It was also an official selection of the 31st Annual Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival. And Williams' production company Mostly Harmless Pictures is growing into quite the horror film factory.
"Harvest Lake" is currently touring the horror convention circuit, including the upcoming HorrorHound Weekend convention (March 18-20) in Cincinnati, Ohio. The film is also currently available on a limited edition Blu-ray. You can even get a copy signed by Church, Schirmer and Williams through their official website.
"Harvest Lake" has pulpy forest horror roots, but it also exudes a sharp edge of arthouse sophistication. This is a little indie gem that's well worth supporting.