Also known simply as Bodom, this is a Finnish horror film that's inspired by the real life Lake Bodom murders that took place in Finland in 1960. Much like described in the film, it involved a group of four friends camping by the lake only to get murdered by someone in the wee hours of the morning. There was only one survivor and the case remains unsolved to this day.

The film takes that concept and pits a new group of "teens" (they look nothing like teens) into the mix. They're looking to recreate the events that led to the deaths, in hopes of possibly finding new clues and maybe even finally solving the pesky case too while they're at it! Because clearly they're smarter than the police right?? I can think of worst ways to get introduced to Finnish horror, as this is actually a well shot and an overall well made movie. The cinematography is surprisingly exceptional for a horror film, and delivers a look that's well beyond its actual budget. It's just a shame that the script isn't as sharp as the picture.



Luckily the movie doesn't waste time getting to the point, as the young leads are already camping by the 15-minute mark, followed by our first death not long after. At first it seemed like it was going to be a straightforward slasher (which would've been fine), but we're thrown a twist half way that proves both interesting and silly at the same time. I say that because it attempts to change and be different than its similarly-themed predecessors, but it just became more convoluted instead. It's a slow reveal that spills out over time and the reasoning behind everything was honestly rather silly and illogical, but then again there's rarely much logic in slashers anyway.

It becomes more of a familiar slasher in the third act, which is sadly followed by a lackluster ending. I personally would've liked the movie more had the body count been higher and it was a straightforward slasher, but as it stands it's an alright film. Though, had it been written as well as it was filmed it would've been a great watch. You can catch the film when it streams on Shudder later this year.

This proved to be a decent introduction to Finnish horror, despite its failed attempt to be smarter than it actually was. It's a beautifully shot film with a mediocre script that's unfortunately more convoluted than it needs to be. Regardless, it kept my interest and was a visual treat, though not something I'd recommend if you're looking for a lot of blood and a high body count.