Vampire Lake – review

Director: Daniel Zubiate

Release date: 2024

Contains spoilers

A micro-budget film there was heart involved, I feel, but it suffers from what I would think was inexperience as much as lack of budget. The story is very simplistic also, at its heart, and so doesn’t necessarily fill the spaces the not overly long running time offers.

It starts with a car in backroads, it stalls and doesn’t restart. The lady driving can’t get signal and so starts walking along the road, eventually able to call someone and ask them to come get her. She continues to walk rather than returning to her car. Someone (unseen) approaches and we get a POV chase and then an off-screen scream. The assailant is clearly the vampire (Addison Foskey) of the title… strangely it is daytime, I say strangely as there is a sunlight rule in this.

Kat and Amy

Charity (Celeste Lee) is at the cabin that belonged to her Grandpa with her friend Tree (Chelcie Sword) and they talk about a recent 'romantic' hookup that Tree had and Charity’s nieces who are coming for the weekend – she hasn’t seen them for a few years. Tree has a gun with her. It is not a great use of Chekov’s Gun as, whilst it is used, it is ineffective and a throwaway moment. The nieces, Amy (MyKayla McCune) and Kat (KayLynda McCune) are driving to the cabin (they are of college age but under age to drink). Amy mentions Kat’s obsession – this will be around the vampire. There is a hitcher (Alan Humphrey) they ignore and he gives them the finger. In honesty he was a pointless character, he does come into it later but is not particularly used effectively. They get to the cabin without real incident.

the group

So, later that night at the firepit Kat tells the myth of the vampire of the lake. Allegedly, if you burn a page of the book of Genesis on the South side of the lake he will appear and have to turn you or kill someone for you – she says she is only interested in discovering the truth but in reality wants the former. She also shows a pendant she got at a vamp-con that will allow a vampire to daywalk and mentions the Vatican’s Book of Salvation – which if you write your name in, in blood, makes it impossible for a vampire to attack you – she happens to have the book. No-one wants to do the 5 mile hike to the lake with her so she sets off alone in the morning.

Addison Foskey as the vampire

So, in shorthand, she summons the vampire successfully, says she wants turning (but he can’t as her name is in the book and needs removing) gives him the pendant (he is stood in the shadow cast by trees and, before the pendent, his hand smokes as it reaches out). She then races home (to get the book or because she realises what she has done) and he goes on a killing spree (mostly off screen) to the cabin. The others, now looking for her, are also on the killing spree list. The vampire displays pyrokinesis and mentions that silver bullets couldn’t harm him (not that the gun had those, and presumably a side effect of the pendent).

a victim

The story is too simple and more characterisation could have been done and, more importantly, more horror and suspense with the killing, the hunting and the hitcher who has been hanging round the cabin and doing nothing until they leave and he breaks in for a shower. The idea that a college (or suspended from college) girl could pitch up at a con and get a real Vatican book (the church connection was not explored) and daywalker pendant took more suspension of disbelief than I could muster. The 4 ladies were personable in the lead roles and I could tell there was heart in it (and some great B roll footage) but that doesn’t save a film. 3 out of 10.

The imdb page is here.