By Michael Sicinski

Falcon Lake, the feature debut from actress Charlotte Le Bon, is an above-average mood piece that represents a reconceptualization of the adolescent coming-of-age story. In this regard it certainly feels familiar: in broad outline, it’s quite similar to a classic of the genre, but to say which one would be a spoiler. (Think Anna Chlumsky and a beehive.) What Le Bon adds to the mix is atmosphere, both in literal terms—the picturesque lakeside cabin in Gore, Québec where the action transpires—and as relates to the overall air of sexual discovery. 

Thirteen-year-old Bastien (Joseph Engel) and his family, hailing from France, have decided to spend the summer with some old family friends in French Canada. Due to the close quarters, Bastien and his little brother have to share a room with Chloé (Sara Montpetit), the friends’ 16-year-old daughter. Despite the latter’s initially surly reaction, she soon warms up to Bastien’s gentle, considerate demeanour, and the two become friends. Early on in the film, Chloé tells Bastien a ghost story: supposedly, a boy drowned on the “wild side” of the lake, and haunts the surrounding woods to this day. Bastien, who once almost drowned himself, is particularly struck by this legend. 

If there’s a central problem with Falcon Lake, it’s that it’s simply too literary (it’s adapted from a graphic novel). Virtually every random comment or occurrence exists for the purpose of foreshadowing, and although this means the script is “tight” by some standards, it also depletes the moment-to-moment experience of the film, since events seem almost preordained. This is regrettable, since Le Bon has so much at her disposal, most notably two very talented young actors. As Bastien, Engel captures a particular kind of young male sensitivity, something that often manifests as a tension between awkwardness and confidence. Montpetit’s Chloé, for her part, while considerably savvier than Bastien, is still a young girl despite her physical maturity: the attention she attracts from 19-year-old Bryan (Jeff Roop) is something she finds both enticing and a bit scary. These painfully recognizable emotions could have easily carried the day, which makes Le Bon’s narrative determinism that much more frustrating

Michael Sicinski