Every camper’s worst nightmare came true at Lake Bodom in 1960 when four teenagers were stabbed to death while sleeping in their tent. As the years passed and the case grew cold, the unsolved mystery turned into an urban legend, a creepy campfire story passed from generation to generation. Now, a group of teenagers arrives at the same campsite, hoping to solve the murder by reconstructing it minute by minute. As night falls, turns out not all of them are there to play…

Tonight… it’s girls against boys. Let the killing games begin.

In 1960’s Finland there was a notorious murder that took place on shore of Lake Bodom near the town of Espoo, northwest of Helsinki.  Three teenagers were stabbed to death as they slept in their tent, while a fourth was able to escape. Then years later the survivor was charged with the killings but was soon acquitted. The unsolved crime remains a hot topic in Finland as people continue theorize about the crime. 

Director Tanei Mustonen and his writing partner Aleski Hyvärinen, have used the infamous case and the fascination around it as their starting point. One of those obsessed with the murders is high school student Atte (Santeri Helinheimo Mäntylä.) He has a theory about the murders and believes the killer may still be out there. Along with his friends Elias (Mikael Gabriel,) Ida (Nelly Hirst-Gee,) and Nora (Mimosa Willamo) they head out to the scene of crime to campout overnight and recreate the murders.

It’s difficult to go more into the story without giving too much away. The film takes a number of left turns.  This unpredictability is a big part of what makes Lake Bodom so good.  Just when you think you know what is happening and who the characters are, everything changes. 

In addition to the well written story, a number of other elements contribute to this very solid film.  Additionally the production design and cinematography are evocative of classic 1980’s “killer in the woods” movies. The bright moonlight shining through the trees and the fog rolling across the lake creating an uneasy that plays out on the faces of the actors.  Panu Aaltio’s superb synthesized score, which has a similar sound to the opening of Stranger Things, helps to intensify the fear.

All of the performances here are quite good. Mäntylä has a certain creepiness to him that makes you question what his intentions are. Hirst-Gee and Willamo never come off as stereotypical scream queen characters. They do a great job of showing the complex layers to their characters.  Similarly, Gabriel’s character goes in many different directions and plays each with conviction.  He is at once the tough guy, the jokester, the asshole, and the genuinely caring sensitive one.

Lake Bodom excels at mixing a nostalgic Friday the 13^th-esque vibe with clever storytelling and genuine surprises.  But if the film has a flaw, it is a minor one.  The pacing in the first 20 minutes is a bit slow.  However I think this just helps to further build tension. Furthermore, this slow build pays off when the film begins to twist and turn.

Lake Bodom will be released exclusively on Shudder in May 2017