I took a sabbatical from the horror community for a few years, but now that I’m back, I’m happy to see that Troy Escamilla is still making movies. Truth be told, I rather enjoyed his previous titles Party Night, Mrs. Claus and Teacher Shortage. Did his most recent narrative, Hollow Lake, live up to his already impressive resume? Let’s see. I will say, though, that the aspect I respect the most is that Escamilla and Zach Shildwachter wrote a script that depicts gay characters as real people. Gone are the days when gay characters existed only for a punch line, a stereotype or a quick death scene. In Hollow Lake, the queer cast is likeable, even with all of their flaws – and, boy, they are flawed. They have real relationships and real hardships, and maybe you’ll see a bit of yourself in each and every one of them. Any horror film that starts with two men kissing is okay in my book, and this is just the type of cinema we need when speaking about being included in the conversation.
Hollow Lake is written, directed & produced by Troy Escamilla for Fright Meter Films. It features cinematography & editing by Mick Kunz, and special FX by Ron George. Lead cast members include Anthony Dain, Santiago Sky, Elias Alexandro, Roger Conners, Brandon Perras, Tyler Thomas and Derek Thomas House. In Hollow Lake, it’s all fun and games until someone’s wiener gets cut off. When a young couple heads to a remote lake house to mend their tattered relationship, neither they nor their closest friends could imagine the bloodshed that would follow. An uninvited guest stalks the house and lays waste to anyone who gets in his way. But what’s the motive? Hollow Lake is currently in film festivals, so you’ll have to purchase a ticket, plant your ass in a seat and see it in person to get the answer because I’m not one to post spoilers unless the film’s been available to own for a while.
It took me a few days to post this review because I was trying to find the right movies to relate to this slow-burn feature. Hitchcockian? Not quite. High Tension? Possibly. Friday the 13th? Only if you include the woods. Hellblent? Close. Really, Hollow Lake feels like something more akin to Jordan Peele or M. Night Shyamalan – where everything is fun and unsuspecting to start but quickly spirals into chaos just before the third act. Instead of blood and guts and shrieks, this movie is padded with character building and dialogue that fleshes out the characters backstories and current impressions without becoming a piece that’s too talkative. And there isn’t always gabbing and slashing. Sometimes there’s man ass and sex scenes. So, really, what more could you want out of a horror film? Pace, suspense, deeper story, gore, chase scenes and sexuality. I have no complaints about this one when it comes to any area of filmmaking. Script, production and acting are all top tier.
Other things I enjoyed… The killer’s performance. I can’t say who, specifically, as to not ruin the movie. But he does crazy eyes really well. I enjoyed Anthony Dain’s performance because he was absolutely a standout in Roger Conners’ MEAT, and it’s cool to see him getting out there in the trenches of horror. Speaking of Roger Conners, if nothing else, Hollow Lake granted me one of my top 5 wishes of all time – that wish being watching Conners get whacked in the knees by a blunt object… I enjoyed the fact that Troy Escamilla and Zach Shildwachter snuck in a few surprise death scenes to keep it interesting. And I enjoyed the overall atmosphere of the movie. Listen, anyone can pick up a camera and film a movie, but only skilled filmmakers can do story-building that paints a universe that is full-fledged and fully actualized. Hollow Lake is moody, at times depressing, and the perfect blend of 80s/90s nostalgia with 2025/2026 gay culture.
Final Score: 8 out of 10.
