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6.5/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.5/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Ladies Lake remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like old-school black and white romances that feel like a breezy vacation, you’ll probably dig this. It’s got that specific 1930s European charm where everyone is beautiful and dressed perfectly even while swimming. But if you need a tight plot that makes total sense, you’re going to be annoyed by how quickly things spiral out of control.
The whole thing is basically a collection of nice shots of a lake. There’s a guy named Eric who is supposedly a swimming instructor but mostly just spends his time looking confused by the women around him. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in Gonzague, where everyone is constantly running into each other for no good reason.
The lake itself is the best character. The way the fog rolls in during that drowning scene? It’s genuinely moody. It made me wish the movie stayed in that quiet, weird space instead of trying to shove in a subplot about police and wanted husbands.
Speaking of that, the sudden appearance of the old sweetheart felt like it wandered in from a different movie entirely. It’s like the writers realized the love triangle wasn't enough, so they threw a criminal investigation into the mix just to see what would stick. It didn't really stick, honestly.
There’s a weird, loose feeling to the performances. Sometimes it seems like they’re making up the dialogue on the spot while looking at the scenery. It isn't exactly the tension you find in The Lost Paradise, but it has its own kind of messy appeal. 🌊
It isn’t a perfect movie, not by a long shot. The pacing is all over the place. But there's something about the way the light hits the water that makes you ignore the fact that the plot is basically just a series of awkward encounters. Sometimes that’s enough, right?