Mayhem Film Festival Reviews - Day 4

 

BONE LAKE

First film of the final day of the festival was Director Mercedes Bryce Morgan's BONE LAKE, which proved to be more than just your average slasher film, with a few very dark twists.

A couple, Diego and Sage, hoping to rekindle their relationship, rent a large villa out in the countryside for a romantic weekend away. Unfortunately, it seems the house has been double booked, as a younger couple, Will and Cin, show up shortly after, claiming they too booked the house for this weekend.

Unable to get in touch with the letting agent, both couples reluctantly agree to stay there and take it up with the agents after the weekend. 

However, it soons becomes clear that the younger couple aren't who they appear to be, as Diego and Sage find they're being manipulated by the other couple, to try and split them apart.

But what starts as simple mind games, quickly escalates into a full blown battle for survival, when their true motives become clear.

Definitely one for slasher film fans, with a lot of extremely unpleasant "ouch" moments. This proved to be an audience favourite, that explores the perils of booking AirBnB's and how you should be very wary who you tell your secrets to...

View the Trailer on YouTube

 

HERESY & THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM

A supernatural double bill was up next, first film of which being the Dutch folk-horror HERESY (AKA Witte Wieven). Set in Medieval times, a young girl goes missing in the woods outside of the village, which are supposedly inhabited by bizarre creatures.

So when she returns days later, without a mark on her and apparently pregnant, which is strange as she was thought to be infertile, the locals think she is cursed. 

But attempting to drive her out of the village has dire consequences when the strange creatures from the woods get involved.

A relatively short film, clocking in at around 45mins, I thought this was a very good period horror, which really captured the aesthetic of medieval Europe, where superstition, religious zealotry and paranoia ran rife. 

If you like supernatural folk horrors, this one is worth seeking out.

View the Trailer on YouTube. 

Next up was Canadian horror THE OCCUPANT OF THE ROOM from Director Kier-La Janisse, which was adapted from the short story of the same name by Algernon Blackwood.

This one was more like your classic ghost story, set in the French alps in the 1930s, a weary traveller has trouble when his coach breaks down and is forced to walk into town on foot, in the freezing snow.

Calling in at a hotel, he's informed they are fully booked. But as he is rather stuck, they offer him a room that the original occupant of has gone missing from. Provided he doesn't mind being turfed out if they return.

With little option, he accepts, but as he beds down for the night, it soon becomes apparent that he might not be the only one there...

Inspired by the old “Ghost Stories for Christmas” BBC series, this was a suitably creepy tale, which proved a hit with the audience. This one is apparently getting a release from Severin films soon, so keep an eye out, if this sounds like your thing.

View the Teaser Trailer on YouTube. 

 

PORTAL TO HELL

The penultimate film of the years festival was deadpan horror-comedy PORTAL TO HELL, which revolves around a depressed Debt Collector, who discovers a portal to hell that's opened up in one of the machines at his local laundromat.

He discovers the portal has been opened up by demon named Chip (voiced by character actor Richard Kind – TV's Gotham), who informs him that he's there to collect the soul of his neighbour, Mr Bobshank (played by Keith David – They Live, The Thing), who's terminally ill.

Horrifed that his neighbour, who is such a nice person, would be confined to such an awful place for all eternity, the demon says if he could find at least 3 other people to stuff into the portal, he'll leave his neighbour alone.

And so, a series of comedic capers ensues, as he and one of the laundrette assistants, tries to find 3 people who are evil enough to shove into the portal. 

A very darkly humoured film, that takes time to reflect on what makes a person good or bad. 

If you love dark humour, you'll love this.

View the Trailer on YouTube.


DEAD BY DAWN

The festival finally drew to a close with a screening of the Polish horror film DEAD BY DAWN (not to be confused with a plethora of other films with the same name), which seems to owe more than just a passing nod to the Italian Giallo films of the 70s & 80s.

An acting troupe have been asked to put on a play at the mysterious Heissenhoff theatre, which has something of a dark past. Sure enough, as the group start their rehearsals, they find themselves being picked off by a masked killer, in a suitably gory fashion, they find themselves trapped inside.

A loose remake of Michele Soavi's STAGE FRIGHT, which itself was a loose adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera, this was essentially a homage to those old Italian Giallos, mixing in elements of SUSPIRIA, OPERA and numerous other Italian Giallo's, along with numerous 80s slasher films, but with a Lovecraftian twist at the end.

If you're a fan of those old Italian horrors, or indeed 80s slashers, you should love this and would thoroughly recommend checking it out.

 View the Trailer on YouTube.

And thus ended the Mayhem Festival for 2025. Huge thanks to Steve Shiels, Chris Cooke and Melissa Gueneau and indeed the entire staff at the Broadway Cinema in Nottingham.

For more info on future events held by the Mayhem Festival, visit the following links.

Offical Website - https://www.mayhemfilmfestival.com/

Facebook Page - @mayhemfilmfestival 

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