Kristian (Michael Emery) was born in Texas, he is a handsome, rich, and unencumbered birdwatcher photographer visiting Lotus Cove, a nude queer campground by a lake in New Hampshire where clothing is optional. The camp was established by the Polk family as a trust to their late son who died in the AIDS holocaust and right at the beginning of the film, we learn a hiker is missing.
We watch Kristian driving, burning some stuff, and wandering in the woods alone, also greeting and making contact with the wide variety of gay men in the camp. Kristian set his tent near the lake on that Labor Day weekend, during which several things happen, among them, gathering by night around a fire to eat magic mushrooms and see trees connecting…
The natural setting is breathtaking and its beauty contrasts sharply with the twisted and ugly situations the main character carries through.
The drama/erotic thriller directed by Nate Dushku has homophobic remarks, nudity, and explicit sex, it may remind some viewers of the French production Stranger by the Lake (2013).
PS As IMDB states in the entry of the film “Consent has never been more deadly”
Review by José Mayorga , Guatemala, Central America lawyer and notary public, visual artist, and editor of El Azar Cultural, lives and works in Guatemala City. Cinema lover, curious about the possibilities life brings and eager to live the experience.
Labels: 2023, Birder, erotic thriller, José Mayorga, movie review, Nate Dushku, nightmarish
