The Lady of the Lake

As a local, I was curious to watch this movie. I should've stayed curious. I really wanted to like this, I was rooting for it. But wow....

HOW did Seth Gilliam agree to do this??? I'm actually stumped. He's not an unknown actor with no credits.

I've been in pretty bad movies myself as a local actor, but this is by far the worst movie I've ever seen. I've seen high school projects that are better than this. Between the acting, the dialogue, the writing, the music... it's all so unnatural and so cheesy, so bad, that it feels awkward to even watch. I'm actually embarrassed for them.

I will say- there are a couple scenes that aren't as bad, and some interesting camerawork, but overall it's just not good. E for Effort?

This film was a B-grade mix of psychological thriller, drama, and horror that somehow scored really high on the film provider's site. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if those ratings came from Maria Capp's friends and family, considering she's directed nine movies according to IMDb. One was more than enough for me, thanks!

The movie weaves in a legend about Princess Ronkonkoma, the daughter of the chief of the Setauket Sachem Tribe, who fell for a chieftain from a rival tribe. Her dad wasn't having it, and some tales say the couple ended up taking a tragic route like Romeo and Juliet, while others suggest the heartbroken princess took her own life (the director strangly chose the third version). Since then, it's said her spirit has been linked to one drowning each year, with over 160 reported at Lake Ronkonkoma since the mid-1800s.

I'm not here to argue the legend, but those high ratings! That's a different story. "Lady of the Lake" tries to blend coming-of-age themes with horror, all while diving into grief and healing. But honestly, none of those genres hit the mark! The film drags along at a slow pace and skips the flashy moments, which means all those mixed elements just fade away because, let's face it, no one really cared about what was happening while watching it.

The film had beautiful cinematography and camera techniques. My favorite scene was the flashback party by the lake because we got to meet a lot of the characters, and the entire scene was done in one take. One thing I noticed about that was the banner with Jamie and Eric's names. Eric's name was all in orange while Jaime's was in a variety of colors (each letter was a different color). I also loved the sound mixing. It seemed very ominous, which fit the tone of the movie mysteriously. Finally, the main character was very well written. She wanted to do whatever it took to uncover the curse of the lake, including holding another party on the lake, which her father had banned her from doing. This film seems like it's for people who will do anything it takes to get answers they want, no matter the cost.

As someone who grew up on Long Island I loved seeing our local legends on the big screen. I adored all the outdoor shots, especially the ones at sunset and at night. It feels almost surreal to see locations you've been to in real life on screen. I thought the characters were believable, you can see how different the grieving process is for each one. Some characters are stuck, while others try to find a new normal moving forward. Jamie was one of my favorite characters, and seeing them spending times with their friends, not going out and about but just meeting on the shore or someone's house to hang out, really does bring back memories from when I was a teen.

So I gave 2 stars because I am from the area. The movie is watchable but plot and acting were weak. Definitely B movie but I enjoyed seeing the story brought to the big screen.

I grew up in the town and at the lake. It was a big resort town for the rich in the early 1900's (first toll road in America built by the Vanderbilt's so they could get to the lake from NYC) then everyone else in the 40s-60s. People began living there full time after and it became Suburbia. The hotels, pavilions, and bars faded away and the quality of the lake suffered.

We grew up hearing about the legend and it happened quite a bit. Stories told that it was connected by underground tunnel to the Great South bay and other stories were told.

Great place to grow up in the 70s and 80s with working class people (many NYC cops and firemen) who commuted to work everyday.

Chris Roach, very funny guy and he has always promoted the Lake. Good standup of times growing up there.

Weird America on Youtube has a great documentary about the curse.

I.