#TIFF22: “FALCON LAKE”

By Amanda Gilmore

This summertime coming-of-age tale follows 14-year-old Bastien (Joseph Engel) on his and his family’s getaway to a cottage in rural Quebec. They spend their days there with his mother’s best friend and her 16-year-old daughter, Chloé (Sara Montpetit). Soon, Bastien is beguiled by Sara’s moodiness and her tales of the ghost of a boy who drowned in the very lake they swim in.

Actress-turned-Director Charlotte Le Bon makes a splash with this Gothic Romance, her directorial debut. It’s a tale of summer love told through two nuanced characters. Bastien and Chloé are different from the other teenagers around. They spend their days speaking of the ghost and even posing for photos dressed in a white sheet. Oh, and they think it’s a fun game to bite down on the spot between their thumb and forefinger to see if they can penetrate the skin. Both Engel and Montpetit give textured performances and remind us of a time in our youth when everything seemed immediate.

Falcon Lake seeps into the atmosphere. One that balances the lightness of summertime vibes with the creepy tension of a Horror. These chilling moments are highlighted even more with a haunting score by Shida Shahabi and Wilhelm Brandl. Le Bon captures a moment in time with scenes of parties by a fire on a summer’s night. She contrasts these lively scenes with quiet, calm ones of Bastien or Sara in or by the lake, sometimes with an image of a ghost watching them.

Although this coming-of-age tale feels familiar, Falcon Lake masters its tone and atmosphere while delivering developed characters.

Falcon Lake screens at TIFF ’22 as follows:

Tue, Sep 13 IN-PERSON at Scotiabank Theatre at 6:30 pm

Wed, Sep 14 IN-PERSON at TIFF Bell Lightbox at 12:30 pm