Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Beware the Lake’

Written by Scott Edwards

​It is never easy being the new person in town, especially when you do not know anybody around. The only hope to find new friends is if someone is willing to reach out to you and make you feel at home, but there are many people that are not willing to take that step. If you are not an outgoing person, you could find that your new town might not be what you expected when you moved in, especially if it is small community that does not like to take in outsiders. But there is nothing wrong with walking the streets and giving a nod to a couple of people to get the feel for the town, even it makes you uncomfortable. 

Working on unloading the moving truck, Tabitha is surprised to get a visit from her friendly neighbor. Next door neighbor Max Clay seems to be a nice boy with the best intentions and is happy to help the young woman out, especially since she seems to be doing everything on her own. Talking in the kitchen while taking a break, Max finds out that Tabitha has made her way to this part of the world from Romania, by way of Pennsylvania. Wanting to continue the conversation, Max invites his new friend over to the house for a little get together, to get to know his future school mate a little bit better.

Making the short walk next door, Tabitha arrives to meet Max’s little brother Mark, along with a group of cheerleaders from the high school. But the instant dislike that head cheerleader Blair sends her way makes the newbie kind of uncomfortable. With the party coming to an end when Max’s big brother makes it home from work, Tabitha is introduced to Mason who seems to have his head about him. As the next morning rolls around, Tabitha returns Max’s hat to the house and winds up getting into a conversation with Mason that informs them both that they have fallen in a way from the same tree and since she needs help with the bills in the house, since she is living with her aunt, Tabitha comes to realize that the Clay boys might be able to help get that burden off of her shoulders.

Watching as there is another woman bidding for Mason’s affection, Blair has decided to make Tabitha’s life a living hell. Harassing the new kid at work, Blair and her friends come up with a better idea of what they can do to make Tabitha just go away. Inviting their new classmate on a trip to the lake, the other girls drug Tabitha and leave her to be raped, but she ends up being choked to death. After a visit from Aunt Drina to the Clay house, a gypsy curse is uttered to bring her niece back to life. With nobody knowing what this means for the group, the cheerleaders start to be plagued by dreams of Tabitha stalking them, but when one gets attacked and has the bruises to prove it, they all know that they have been targeted for death and need to find a way to stop the vengeful spirit.

Not a bad little ride overall, as nobody wanted to take responsibility for the death of Tabitha in the lake, even the guy that did it would not fess up. I liked the group of cheerleaders being led by Blair who would do anything to keep her relationship with Mason moving forward. Max and his little brother Mark were very interesting characters, as I did not fully understand what Max wanted out of life, but you could tell that Mark wanted to know everything about what was happening in the neighbor’s house after Tabitha went missing and is able to pass on some vital information about survival. With a story that takes you back to the old days of Romania, a gypsy revival spell, the dead coming back to life, a zombie or spirit stalking her killers, little remorse for what was done and justice for all, this is a pretty good movie overall. I can tell you that it will make you think twice about trying to play a stupid joke on someone you barely know, that is for sure. Stay Scared.

---

Powered by JustWatch