Another entry for the ‘Short Sharp Shocks’ collection. And this one’s probably been the strongest entry so far (or, if nothing else, the one that actually fits the remit of the short sharp Shocks set)

The plot follows a young couple fresh out of university, who’ve bought a house in their childhood village, with the aim of renovating it and turning it into a family home.

However, while they were at university, the previous owner went mad, murdered his wife, children and all the livestock on the land, and then vanished.

While celebrating with a picnic in a nearby field, the couple begin to realise things may not be as serine as hoped…

I won’t say this one is anything remarkable, for 70s contemporary horror it’s pretty standard fare. But it does manage to create a real sense of ominous foreboding and while I think your milage may vary. The resolution is just unsettling enough to leave a lasting impression. I enjoyed this one…I could see it playing ahead of something like ‘Don’t Look now’ or maybe the original ‘Evil Dead’ as a kind of palette cleanser.

source https://letterboxd.com/tytdreviews/film/the-lake-1978/