Customer Reviews

Sam's Lake

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I sometimes wonder if I'm watching the same movie as some reviewers. This is not a slasher flick, and there's virtually none of the blood or gore that usually comes with it. While there are death scenes, most are not graphic, but this does not distract from the movie at all. In fact, the film almost passes for a major motion picture, from the quality of the camera work, to competent acting and terrific scenery.
The storyline involves a group of young people getting away to a cabin in the quiet countryside, where legend has it a murderer has been been at large since killing his family decades earlier. It does make a nice back story, and sets the tone for a nice twist that I did not see coming that ultimately changes the tone of the movie (in a good way). There is a good deal of suspense and tension, and several scenes are simply delightfully creepy without the presence of any blood, spooks, or demons. This is not visceral horror. Rather, it is that rare treat that uses the actual tale to create a mood. It's a nice change of pace from the torture and mayhem that have passed for thrillers recently.

"Sam's Lake" is a new additon to my huge collection of horror flicks. When I read the reviews on Amazon I new I wanted it & could hardly wait for delivery. It will keep some guessing who the killer is. A short ways into the movie I had my suspicions & I was right. The characters are portrayed as a group of friends who have gone to Sam's Lake for a few days for rest & peace & quiet, away from the hustle & noise of the city life. Things start happening shortly into the movie & continue throughout the entire film until it ends. I think anyone who likes a suspenseful horror movie will appreciate it.

I saw this movie during the Tribeca Film Festival a few years ago and I don't understand why it was not released further in the US. It is an excellent suspense film that really made me jump several times and I have seen many suspense/horror movies that have failed to shake me. Though elements of the plot have been utilized in previous movies, the acting and cinematography are excellent in this film. The plot twist during the climax of the film completely caught me off guard (I won't give it away). If you love good supsense movies you will enjoy this movie. I would say suspense wise it is very comparable to Cape Fear. I completely disagree with the previous reviewer - if this movie was so bad, why was it featured at the Tribeca Film Festival?

when I saw the art cover I was thinking..ok this is gonna be another low budget movie, but boy was I wrong this was very good movie sure the movie was predictable, and has been done a hundred times, but what makes this one different is that i was extremely creepy, and even gave me a few jumps, and the prduction value was on point..can rival anything in theaters..this aint no low budget looking movies, which is surprising from Lions Gate considering the crap that they put out in the past, and the acting was for the most part excellent...all the charaters were extremey likable, and made you root for them in the end..these ren't a bunch of honey teens going in the woods getting killed...these are 20 someting actors, and they all did an excellent job...so if your in the mood for a very creepy..high budget DTV movie with excellent acting....look no farther Sam's Lake delievers...the only con that I have was that the story moved kinda slow, but that was to build character developement.......Lion's Gate coud have easily put this gem in theaters..with all the crap thats in there now....good job Lion's Gate you have done well with this movie.....excellent!!!...I deffinatly recomend this movie....very creepy

You never know what you're going to get with a low budget horror film. Could be so-so, or it could suck, or it could be awesome!! SAM'S LAKE is so cool!! It starts out just like a zillion other horror movies. A group of friends go to the woods to get away (is it like written in stone that every low budget horror must start out in the woods?) and take it easy. And just when you're sure you know exactly what's going on, SAM'S LAKE throws one hell of a twist that I didn't see coming in any shape, fashion or form.

Gore hounds, this one isn't for you. There isn't any special effects either. But what it DOES have is a story. A real live plot that makes sense. What a rare thing is that nowadays!! And the supense and tension is thick. I absolutely loved it!!

The only reason I didn't give SAM'S LAKE five stars was the sappy sweet first fifteen minutes they made me suffer through. But that only made the payoff that much more satisfying. Dip your toe in SAM'S LAKE. You'll jump in.

I'm usually disappointed with direct to DVD movies that I haven't heard of, but since I found Sam's Lake at the
local used replay store for only five bucks, I thought I'd check it out.
It was a pleasant surprise. The movie is very atmospheric, creepy, suspenseful. I know how it feels to be a
city kid feeling out of her element in the sticks, and of course, no small rural town is complete without a few
weird locals. The scenery around the lake is beautiful and disarming. How could anything terrible happen here?
The story that Sam tells her friends is campfire-worthy, and then the trip to the murder house-very scary!
It has a shocking surprise waiting at the end. I won't give away too much, but...
SPOILER ALERT! IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT, READ NO FURTHER.
The only reason I couldn't give it a five star rating was because of the glaring lack of logic in the BIG SHOCK.
A tight knit group of friends who've known each other for years, who call themselves a family, who trust each other
implicitly, how could they not have seen the insanity? How can somebody so psychotic keep it under complete
control long enough to earn the trust of so many people without a little bit of crazy spilling out every once in
a while? That I found a little bit unbelievable. But otherwise, the movie was very entertaining.

This movie starts out a little slowly, but the suspense builds nicely and the twist is worth waiting for. I'm not easily scared, but I watched this movie clutching my blanket and couldn't take my eyes off the screen. If you want a scary film with an interesting plot and just enough gore, this one won't disappoint! Not to be missed by true horror fans!

A low-budget scary movie that's low on gore but high on chills. Well, yeah, there *are* deaths, but nothing too graphic.

There's a major plot twist you may see coming, and it's a doozy. It's a fun enough scary movie. 3.5 stars.

Sam's Lake (2005) is a suspense adventure that after a long wait, only provides a few minor thrills. Sam (Fay Masterson) hosts some friends at her cabin at Sam's Lake, and along with local resident Jesse (William Gregory Lee), spooks the group with the tale of a man who escaped from an institution, returned home to butcher his family, and then escaped into the woods. Visiting the abandoned house where the murders occurred, the group finds the killer's hidden journal, which serves as a prelude to the mayhem to come, as soon members of the party are running for their lives in the woods.

After a buildup that takes 55 minutes, the payoff is rather disappointing, as most of the violence is off-screen, or not very graphic. The hapless city folk, apparently without a cell phone between them, and the sense to keep running, don't present much of a challenge for the thrill seeking killers. Fortunately for one victim (Sandrine Holt), the hunters get their priorities crossed, enabling her to continue on.

The chase begins at night, but there must be a very fierce full moon out, because the woods are pretty well lighted most of the time. Some might have trouble navigating in the woods without tripping, but it is remarkable how well these people are able to move freely without even a flashlight.

Having a spiritual connection to family, is a recurring theme. This is a little twisted, considering the dysfunctional family found here. The killers are in tune with nature, as they frequently lift their noses to the wind, and take a big sniff to get on the trail of their prey. Something does definitely smell here.

With other more exciting and satisfying wilderness thrillers around, it is hard to recommend Sam's Lake. The story is unconvincing, the characters are not particularly likeable, and it largely fails to deliver in the action and gore department.

When you have to look outside the US to find a film produced in America, that tells you something (as does the fact that the film's official web site no longer exists). I've seen plenty of movies worse than this one, but there's no getting around the fact that Sam's Lake isn't a very good movie. It had some potential - a mad killer running around in the woods intent on killing a bunch of young adults isn't what you'd call original, but you can at least hope for a tad of suspense and a lot of blood and gore; plus, you have a fairly attractive redhead in the lead role, and that's never a bad thing. Alas and alack, though, the movie just doesn't work. The whole thing basically hinges on one crucial scene just over halfway through, and director Andrew C. Erin's efforts to pull it off just fell a little short, a flaw immediately exacerbated within mere seconds by a rather ridiculous moment. Still, everyone involved in the film seemed to try hard, and you would think the likes of a Lionsgate would pick this up for distribution. It's pretty bad, but it's not insufferable.

So, anyway, Sam (Fay Masterson), still dealing with the death of her father a year earlier, invites several of her friends for a weekend back home in her family's lakeside cabin. The lake would of course be named Sam's Lake - her father loved it so much he named her after it. Most of these friends of Sam's have never been out of the big city before, but even they can see that something about the place just isn't right. The locals - what few of them are to be seen - are anything but friendly, and every house seems to have a Blair Witch-like cornhusk "doll" hanging somewhere in front of it. Still, the lake itself is quiet and peaceful, and it looks like some fun may be had here after all. Sam's childhood friend, Jesse (William Gregory Lee, who Dark Angel fans will recognize as Max's genetic mutant buddy Zack), is a bit of an odd duck, but he seems to hit it off with Sam's friend Kate (Sandrine Holt). Then, at the obligatory campfire, Sam is coerced into telling the story of "the house." To make a long story short, this family's "troubled" son escaped from an institution, made his way back home, slaughtered his parents and sister, then disappeared into the woods. Not only was the madman never found, a lot of locals have disappeared over the years, always with a cornhusk doll left in their place. As if this story alone isn't enough to unnerve Sam's friends, it is accompanied by a related "adventure."

Aha, so this is clearly a story about a madman killing young people out in the middle of nowhere, you say. Well, yes and no. This is where the story runs into problems. I'm afraid I just can't buy what the director is selling here. Sadly, the rest of the film is just sort of ludicrous. To top it off, they have to throw in a completely unnecessary final shot that just seemed like pandering and turned me off even further.

Some people might enjoy Sam's Lake, but I think a majority of viewers - especially horror fans - will be left jaded at best by the experience. I really wanted to like it, but the story just has too been faults to overcome. Since he was the film's writer as well as director, I have to lay the blame squarely on the shoulders of Andrew C. Erin, but I don't want to come down too hard on the guy since this was his debut feature film. Yes, Sam's Lake is a bad, low-budget horror film, but Erin actually came pretty close to pulling this whole thing off. With a little more experience, he might very well thrill or even scare us at some point in the future.