Falcon Lake (2023)

3 1/2 Stars (out of 4)

Swim Fairy Tales

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Charlotte Le Bon's Falcon Lake, a coming of age tale based on a graphic novel by Bastien Vivès, has been described as a "ghost story," which I'd say is correct. Even though it doesn't contain any "boo" moments, it is a truly haunting experience. A directorial debut by Le Bon, a performer perhaps best known for her roles in The Walk and The Hundred-Foot Journey, Falcon Lake concerns 13-year-old Bastien (Joseph Engel), who has joined his mother, father, and younger brother for a summer vacation at a lake house in Quebec. Bastien hasn't quite come out of his shell yet, and so when he meets sixteen-year-old Chloé (Sara Montpetit), he's enchanted as only a young boy can be by the mystery of a carefree young woman with long, magical hair. Chloé seems to take a liking to Bastien, too, and begins inviting him to hang out with her, even if that means spending time with crude, older boys, or going to drinking parties. They spend time talking, and Chloé tells Bastien about a ghost that haunts the lake, but she sometimes turns fickle, ignoring Bastien in favor of some momentary distraction. Then, their friendship is tested when the naive Bastien succumbs to a dreadful moment of peer pressure. Not unlike last year's Aftersun, Falcon Lake is a drifting movie, like a summer vacation itself, where moments can feel like boredom, but always have something lingering, or simmering, beneath. It's a thing of beauty, and sadness.