It’s a great time to be ahorrorfan. With a great blend of original nightmares and returning franchise terrors, the genre is as bloodthirsty as it’s ever been. 2024 has a lot of scares in store for moviegoers andone of the originalslasherskilling its way to theaters soon isCamp Pleasant Lake. Now the 80s-inspired killing spree’sfirst look presents a new masked killer on the loose.
The image, provided exclusively byDeadline, has acreepy black hooded figure looking down amusingly on their next victim. It’s a classic horror shot that evokes classics likeHalloweenandFriday the 13th. The eeriemask the killer is wearing also feels ripped straight out ofThe Purge. These influences shouldn’t come as a surprise as Pleasant Lake is a throwback to the genre’s prime when it was filled with camp slashers likeThe BurningandSleepaway Camp. The film’s plot is as follows:
“Rick and Darlene Rutherford, who attempt to breathe life into the eerie remnants of an old campsite, unaware of its dark past. Strange occurrences haunt the area, mirroring the tragedies of the old camp, where two decades earlier, a young girl was kidnapped and her parents brutally murdered. Amidst chilling atmospheres and long-forgotten secrets, the couple grapples with a horrifying revelation—they are entwined in the camp’s history. And as the shadows of the past collide with the present, the Rutherfords must confront the haunting histories of a sinister crime.”
Again, it’s aplot that echoes the originalFriday the 13thwhich sawCamp Crystal Lakeaka “Camp Blood'' trying to reopen after young Jason Voorhees drowned in the lake decades prior. As horror fans know well, that ended in bloodshed, butPleasant Lake’s description is disturbing enough to send a chill down even the most seasoned genre veteran’s spine. While it took influence from the franchises of the80s,this definitely sounds like a darker film in comparisonand, if there’s anything that horror fans love, it’s unraveling a spooky masked killer mystery. When expressing his excitement about the film, writer-directorThomas Waltonsaid, “Collaborating with the DeskPop team to releaseCamp Pleasant Lakehas been a pleasure.We’ve crafted an intense, frightening, and entertaining experience, and we’re excited for horror enthusiaststo come together in cinemas and VOD and relish the twists and turns we’ve brought to life.”
Camp Slashers 101 is Now in Session
WhileFriday the 13this the camp slasher to end all camp slashers, it created a sunshine-filled sub-genre that horror fans lovinglyrewatchevery year.The Burningwas one of the darkest films to come out of the 80s, while the bizarrely fun tone ofSleepaway Campgave us one of the most memorable twists in film history. However, recently the sub-genre has been making a comeback with films like the belovedFear Street Part Two: 1978,They/ThemandFinal Summer. Summer camps are supposed to be a place of peace, laughter, and an environment full of great memories, but that’s also why it’s the perfect location for a rabid horror film.
When Does ‘Camp Pleasant Lake’ Release?
Camp Pleasant Lakeis killing its way to theaters and VOD on July 24, 2025. The slasher starsJonathan Lipnicki(Jerry Maguire), horror legendBonnie Aarons(The Nun),Andrew Divoff(Wishmaster),Michael Paré,Kelly Lynn Reiter,Robert LaSardo(Death Race),Maritza BrikisakandGreg Tally. You can view the first image forCamp Pleasant Lakebelow.
