Camp Pleasant Lake 2024 Movie Review

While SummerWeen and its array of terrifying slashers are still on the horizon, horror aficionados haven’t been lacking in spine-chilling entertainment this year. Despite it being early in 2024, enthusiasts of the eerie have been treated to a plethora of hair-raising offerings. With eagerly awaited films like Night Swim, Baghead, and Lisa Frankenstein hitting screens worldwide in recent months, it’s safe to say that horror enthusiasts have been thoroughly spoiled for choice.

Adding to this already bustling lineup and soon to grace screens everywhere is Camp Pleasant Lake, featuring none other than The Nun herself, Bonnie Aarons from The Conjuring Universe. Set at a restored summer camp where a gruesome crime occurred two decades prior, Camp Pleasant Lake thrusts new guests into a realm of uncanny phenomena, revealing that the chilling events of the past are far from concluded.

Camp Pleasant Lake is set for release in select theaters across the United States on February 27, 2024. For those unable to catch it on the big screen or preferring to be terrified within the comfort of their own homes, fret not: the movie will simultaneously be available on VOD platforms.

The trailer for Camp Pleasant Lake began circulating on YouTube in 2022, showcasing a flurry of bloody kills that blur the line between staged violence and the harrowing reality when Echo’s captors return for vengeance. Offering deeper insight into the events of Halloween weekend two decades ago, the trailer delves into the legend of Echo’s abduction by a sinister couple, leaving behind a trail of brutal murders and unanswered questions about her little brother’s fate. As a motley crew of true crime enthusiasts delves into the mystery, it becomes evident that no one is safe from the camp’s dark secrets.

Camp Pleasant Lake, a gore-soaked popcorn slasher, unfolds two decades after a nightmarish incident at an idyllic summer camp. Following the abduction of young Echo Meadows and the grisly murders of her parents, enterprising couple the Rutherfords seize the chance to capitalize on the tragedy. Transforming the property and assembling a team of “counselors” who were campers during the fateful night, the Rutherfords charge macabrely curious guests a hefty fee to relive the horrors. However, when eerie events plague the cursed campground, suspicions arise that Echo or her sadistic captors have returned for revenge.

Penned and helmed by Thomas Walton, Camp Pleasant Lake marks the start of a busy year for Walton, with his earlier horror flick, They Turned Us Into Killers, starring Orange Is the New Black’s Taryn Manning, having debuted in January 2024. Joining Walton in the extensive production team are Jared Safier, Jackson Everest, and David M. Parks. Parks, also serving as the cinematographer, is accompanied by Reuven Herman providing the haunting score.