Review: Lake Nowhere perfectly replicates the vintage horror VHS experience

With the nice and clean world of online streaming, it’s easy to forget just how messy it used to be to watch your favourite horror flicks on good old bulky VHS tapes. If the movie was good enough (or if the initial video quality was rough enough), the tracking would constantly have to be adjusted, the audio would pop-in and out, scenes would jump forward for no reason, and if someone was wise enough to put a piece of tape over that little corner tab, a whole other film might suddenly take over.

Lake Nowhere celebrates that classic era of VHS horror by making that pesky experience as visceral as possible. The film is almost a VHS-simulator, replicating the look and feel of a well-loved tape that’s seen more than its fair share of action. Those classic tracking lines skate across the screen throughout, the image is washed out and dark, and the film even quickly cuts to what appears to be a creepy home video at points. While that may sound like overkill, at just 51 minutes, it makes for a quick and fun viewing experience that is only enhanced by the behind-the-scenes visual trickery.

The plot, as it is, will be familiar to anyone who’s ever seen a slasher flick—a bunch of friends head out into the country to party, where they are summarily executed by something in the woods. The acting by the ensemble cast is as wooden as one would expect, but they do make great bait as they are quickly taken out by the hulking creature, resulting in some excellent gore effects. The added supernatural tinge involving the power of the lake elevates the story from simply a maniac wandering around the woods with a machete, and could easily fuel more entries in the series if the filmmakers don’t want this to just be a fun one-off.

Directed by Christopher Phelps and Maxim Van Scoy, Lake Nowhere replicates not only the tactile feel of a vintage slasher, but also its aesthetic. From its POV shots through the eyes of the killer to its roaming hand-held shots, the film does a great job of emulating the look and feel of vintage 70’s and 80’s low-budget horror, down to the Giallo-style bright red blood.

Preceded by era-appropriate fake commercials and trailers, Lake Nowhere is a complete package of horror nostalgia that replicates the entire experience of popping in a vintage VHS slasher back in the day. Let’s see your Netflix queue do that.

Lake Nowhere is out now on DVD/Blu-ray and VOD.