When two couples are accidentally double-booked for a romantic weekend at the same vacation home inBone Lake, they opt to share the rental. It doesn’t take long for things to get out of hand, turning the weekend from fun and relaxing to manipulative and violent.
Director Mercedes Bryce Morgan is no stranger to thehorror genre. Her filmSpoonful of Sugarreceived rave reviews after it played at Fantastic Fest, which is likely what drew her to return to the fest withBone Lake. Lead actors Andra Nechita (Cin) and Marco Pigossi (Diego), however, are both new to the genre.Bone Lakeis actively seeking distribution following its explosive premiere at Fantastic Fest.
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Screen RantinterviewedBone Lake’s Mercedes Bryce Morgan, Andra Nechita, and Marco Pigossi during Fantastic Fest 2024. Morgan discusses finding the perfect balance between thriller, horror, sexy, and violent, while Nechita and Pigossi tease where their characters are at the start of the film. They talk about their favorite scenes to film and their spoiler-free reactions to thebig twist ending.
The Twisted Script Is What Drew Everyone To Want To Work On Bone Lake
Screen Rant: What drew you toBone Lake?
Mercedes Bryce Morgan: I always go off of my reaction when I read a script, and so the first time I read it, I was just laughing the entire time. My partner was in the other room, and she’d hear me go, oh my God. And so it was kind of that visceral reaction, and also I love Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf, but kind of doing it in a comedic, horror, psycho-sexual way, so that’s what drew me to it.
Andra Nechita: I loved the character, Cin. She was so unlike me in every way possible, and I loved that, and I was very scared by it. Then just her relationship with Will, and the dynamic that she has with Sage, and with Diego, and then just the story. I mean, two couples that get booked in the same home. That’s crazy. Creepy.
Marco Pigossi: I think for me it was also this, when I read Diego, it’s like, things get so crazy in this film, to a level, and Diego seems like he’s the only real grounded person in that story. I was like, oh, this is really cool, because it feels like he’s in a different, parallel universe going on there. I think the film itself has this, when things start happening, they start slowly, and you’re like, okay, I guess I know where this is going, and then something happens, you’re like, oh, I wasn’t expecting that, and then something else, and you’re like, wait, what, what, by the time you finish, you’re like, this is crazy. So, yeah, when I read it, I couldn’t stop. I was like, this is insane, I can’t wait to see. It was a beautiful experience.
Screen Rant: When you first read the script, without spoilers, what was your reaction?
Mercedes Bryce Morgan: Oh, f. That’s my two-word answer to that question.
Andra Nechita: I think I was drinking tea when I read it, and I might have actually spit out my tea.
Marco Pigossi: Oh, f. You can’t do better than that.
Screen Rant: Can you talk about finding the balance between sex, violence, and twisted psychological thriller?
Mercedes Bryce Morgan: Yeah, I feel like the tone was something that was really important to me coming into it, because I wanted to create something where we have really good performances, but also it’s fun, and people should feel free to laugh at it, because what’s happening is absurd. And so kind of matching those together. It’s been really cool with that tone, because we’ve done so many test screenings, and I really do think this is a cult audience movie, where we want people to yell in the theater. That’s the kind of reactions we have had, is people reacting how we did, of spitting out tea, figuratively.
Andra Nechita Can’t Swim, But That Didn’t Stop Her From Getting In The Water Tank
" Andra’s very scared of water, but she’s such a trooper."
Screen Rant: Is there a scene you were most excited to film?
Marco Pigossi: It’s just the dynamic of the characters. The dynamic between the two couples happening in that house, is really fascinating. I love what Mercedes said at some point, it’s like everybody has two sides, right? We all want like this crazy, sexy thing, but at the same time, we want love, and care, and to be embraced, and to be nested in that sense. So I think this is what plays the dynamic between the couples.
It’s this desire for the crazy sex, but at the same time, the desire for having home. This is what the film explores, this dual conflict between everyone else. So this was something that I loved doing. But this is my first horror film. I’ve never done it before. We don’t do that much in Brazil, I’m from Brazil. So I had a lot of fun. It was just, at some point, basically, I don’t know if this is a spoiler, but basically, just throwing a bucket of blood, and okay, you’re ready, go to set. That was definitely my favorite part.
Andra Nechita: Yeah, I think it’s hard to pinpoint one favorite moment, because every day was so much fun, and there was always something that was just, oh my God, we get to play, we get to do this, and find that balance in every relationship with each other, that dynamic of each character has so many colors, and it was fun to kind of lean into a color here, and a color here. I think one of my favorite scenes has to be jumping in the lake because I can’t swim.
Mercedes Bryce Morgan: Oh, that’s right! Andra’s very scared of water, but she’s such a trooper that she’s like, I’m gonna do this for the movie, I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna get in the tank, and I didn’t know this until she told me on set, and I just, I adore her. So thank you for getting in the water with us, Andra.
Screen Rant: What directing influences did you take forBone Lake?
Mercedes Bryce Morgan: I mentioned Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? for blocking a lot, but I’d say for influences, it’s just, I love a lot of horror films that are really character-based, but also it reaches this camp, fun level. I know it’s not a satisfying answer, but there’s probably 50 films that kind of worked their way into it.
The Bone Lake Cast Suggests That If You’re Double Booked At A Rental Home, You Should Run.
“I wouldn’t get out of the car,” they joke.
Screen Rant: If you were double booked at a rental home, what would you do?
Marco Pigossi: Three letters. R-U-N. Run.
Andra Nechita: I wouldn’t get out of the car.
Mercedes Bryce Morgan: I think I would pretend to be someone else to kind of mess with them if I thought they were messing with me. This is a chance to reinvent myself, and I didn’t think I’d be here. I think that’s what I’d do.
Marco Pigossi: You see, she has the perfect mind to direct this.
Diego And Sage Are Polar Opposites From Cin And Will
Diego is a good guy with an open heart while Cin likes to use her body to get what she wants.
Screen Rant: Can you talk about where your characters are at the beginning of this film?
Marco Pigossi: So Diego and Sage, they’re crossing the country driving, and they’re heading to a new start, to a fresh start in a different city. Diego is a teacher, and he’s trying to write his first novel. And Sage is a very well-succeeded journalist, and she’s supporting him in this process until they decide to stop for a weekend in this house close to this lake. And then everything goes from there. But this is interesting, because the couple already has a backstory when they stop there. You know what I’m saying? And this is what is interesting, because that’s what they’re gonna mess with to begin with. So there’s an interesting dynamic. But that’s all I can say about Diego. He’s just a good guy, open heart, sweet, and not ready for any of this at all.
Andra Nechita: Yeah, I think to contrast that, Cin and Will are polar opposites. They’re an infectious couple. They’re confident. They’re bubbly and outgoing. Like, no, let’s go make brunch and things like that. Sexy. To dive deeper into Cin’s character was so fun because there are two sides to her. You have this really sweet, empathetic, childlike girl who’s just a kid at heart and is so fun. Then, on the other side, she is a little calculated, and she loves to use her body to get what she wants. I think it was fun to kind of see that and to really dive deeper in both of those sides throughout the film and through the dynamics that were established with everyone.
More About Bone Lake (2024)
When two young couples are mistakenly double-booked into the same vacation rental their romantic weekend becomes a twisted maze of sex, lies, and survival.
Check out our otherBone Lakeinterview here:
Bone Lakepremiered at Fantastic Fest 2024 and is actively seeking distribution.
Bone Lake
Cast
Bone Lake follows Diego and Sage as they attempt to reignite their relationship by renting a lakeside property for a weekend retreat. Despite finding the house double-booked with another couple, they all choose to stay, leading to unexpected connections and revelations.
