Two years ago, I interviewed Dean Jacobs about his crowdfunded thriller, Water Rites. Now, that film has been realized. Starring genre greats like Michael Berryman, Dee Wallace, and Lynn Lowry, Jacobs himself stars as one half of a duo slowly figuring out that their lakeside escape is hiding something deadly.
A couple takes a break from their work-a-day lives by spending the summer at a secluded lakefront community. After uncovering the locals’ secrets, the couple’s idyllic retreat quickly turns into something neither of them can return from.
Water Rites, IMDB
When James (Jacobs) and Katie (Katy Bentz) arrive at a rented home for the summer, they partake in all the normal things you would on vacation: hiking (through fenced-off forests), schmoozing (with uninviting characters), and even a nighttime swim (in the privately-owned lake). As they get to know the area, though, locals tend to stay away and give off an aire of discomfort with the new arrivals. James especially notices the tension and pieces together a secret the townsfolk are hiding. In Water Rites, knowledge isn’t actually power — if you don’t belong, you don’t belong.
At 100 minutes, Water Rites gives plenty of time for the mystery to unravel. The time spent with the characters is well worth the wait, as you feel closer to each person and learn little things about them along the way. Filmed on location at California’s Lake Arrowhead, we also get to know the resort town with sweeping mountain shots, forested trails, and of course, the lake which holds so many secrets realized in the film; part of the reason Water Rites holds such atmosphere is that the story is rooted in the real history of the lake.
Now, being a folky thriller, Water Rites takes its time with the story. That’s not to say it took longer to get the the action — I’d frame it as lulling you into a false sense of safety. Sure the stares from the locals at the grocery store and weird interactions with residents make everything feel off… but that’s just slow living in a resort town, right? Water Rites doesn’t dive right into the action, instead letting things simmer until it finally boils over.
And that tipping point really changes the tone of the story, Water Rites goes from mystery thriller to dangerous horror flick with its own tricks and surprises. No spoilers here, but one realization came totally out of left field and brought a second wind to the story. Water Rites felt long, but in that moment, I needed more!
Water Rites is a slow burn, but in the true spirit of lakeside vacations, sometimes a little winding down is appreciated rather than the fast-paced, non-stop slaughtering we’ve grown accustomed to in summertime flicks. With cameos featuring our favorite old-school actors and an ending that warrants a prequel, Water Rites takes real life history and creates a new one, proving that truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.
For more on Water Rites, follow the film on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Read the exclusive first look article on Bloody Disgusting.
