THE LAKE (2022)
Directed by: Lee Thongkham
Humanity is a race full of superstitions. Over the thousands of years of the modern human existence, fear has plagued us all. In its opening narrative, The Lake spends time emphasizing three critical fears oozing within the film. The fear of the unknown, fear of what happens to us next, and fear of the safety of our kin. All three thematically represent the true underlying nature of Thongkham’s film, which takes these innate, permeating feelings, and weaves them into a classical movie monster story. Physically manifesting by the creatures lurching out of the titular body of water, do these fears come from fictitious myths and legends told by our ancestors to protect us, or is there something real and arcane that may emerge one day?
A mysterious large egg from an unknown animal washes up on shore, and the people of the city are quick to capture it, and horde it for their own gain. First, by a small girl, overbearing with curiosity, and secondly, by the local police captain, who seeks to protect his estranged daughter from any dangers in the world.
A creature emerges from the local lagoon, and it quickly hunts down those responsible for harboring its “young” (the egg), including the two groups of families. However, after the townsfolk take up arms, and capture the attacking animal, the truth of what else is lurking beneath the surface comes to fruition. There is a bigger, meaner, and scarier creature waiting to rescue the captured human-sized young, and will attack other families, and anyone else in its way to accomplish this goal.
Of course, this new kaiju film is influenced by the creatures of yesteryear that the crew has grown up admiring, and it’s painted lovingly in every aspect of the film. From the rainy, intense sequence with the gigantic animatronic creature that feels right out of Jurassic Park, to the parent and youngling aspect from films such as Gorgo and Gappa, it’s hard to miss Thongkham’s adoration for the beasts of the cinema. The cinematography by Brandt Hackney elevates the monster-fare to masterful levels, echoing prior auteur-style kaiju cinema, such as Bong Joon-Ho’s The Host (2006), another openly stated influence. None of it evokes rehash or rip-off in the slightest. The Lake lovingly looks back at monster films that have come before and innovated with their creature creations, while also showing that the new era of monster entertainment is merely just beginning.
Kicked off by films like The Host or Pacific Rim, the modern age of kaiju films has seen dramatic change and adaptation over the years. Different methods of presenting a gargantuan goliath have changed the way we can explore this mythos. Thailand has finally answered the monster call with their own tale, weaving their own culture and storytelling within the common threads of a traditional creature story.
Thongkham evokes Godzilla’s director, Ishiro Honda, and his message of “Monsters are tragic beings. They are born too tall. Too Strong. Too heavy. They are not evil by choice. That is their tragedy.”, showing that the “monsters” of this movie are just looking out for one another, much like us humans would. A tale as old as time, but nonetheless important to the foundational pillars of this genre.
Humans relay legends to each other, some of those including monsters of folklore and mythology. They are told to scare, to entertain, and sometimes, to protect. We are taught that there may be monsters out there in the world. Even to this day, captivating story of cryptids and strange beasts perplex our thoughts and imaginations. Is it all real? Is it just entertainment? The Lake takes this perspective both metaphorically and literally, if we are to ignore our legends and myths passed through our ancestors, perhaps we will awaken our very own creature that lurks beneath the waves…
Additional Info:
Find out where to watch officially: Epic Pictures’ “The Lake” Website
Previous KU Coverage: Epic Pictures To Release Thai/Chinese Giant Monster Movie THE LAKE!
