Lake George (2024) Movie Review: A Masterfully Performed Tale about Guilt, Guile, Survival, and Redemption

Shea Whigham and Carrie Coon have been two of the ever-reliable actors for a long time. They have shined in many projects that were rarely the zeitgeist from those times. “Lake George” (2024) offers them to be the dynamic central pair as versions of the classic runaway duo, “Bonnie and Clyde.” However, unlike the 1967 film, this crime thriller is far more grounded. It isn’t about an angry young man rebelling against the world. Instead, it’s about a middle-aged man, coping with past regrets, and hoping for a fresh start. In his journey for mere survival, he faces unusual problems.

The film’s protagonist, Don (Shea Whingham), returns from his long term in prison. Now fairly old, he struggles to find work or even a friendly face. His past friends and family ignore him. While some of them are dead, he is dead for the others. He is jaded and has nothing to return to. While possibly at the lowest point in his life, he resorts to doing anything he can to get back on his feet. He returns to Armen (Glenn Fleshler), a mobster whom he worked for before going to prison. Don recalls that Armen owed him a significant amount of money, so he decides to get it back. Be that as it may, Don isn’t seeking justice but rather the satisfaction of revenge.

From the looks of it, he is a noble-minded man who once got caught in some sort of trouble. He doesn’t seem inherently evil or criminal but merely a victim of a situation. So, it doesn’t come as a surprise when he rejects Armen’s offer to ‘take care of’ his ex, Phyllis (Carrie Coon). While Don was in prison, Armen and Phyllis were in the same rehab. They bonded during their recovery. Then, they got together to lead a tale as old as time. She kept asking for more of his money and he wasn’t ready to hand it over. These financial issues created a rift in their loving relationship. While it is ‘loving’ for Armen, it’s another case for Phyllis.

Regardless, Don’s rejection upsets Armen. Still, he sees Don as the perfect person to exploit. Subsequently, he agrees to pay back what he owes only if Don offs Phyllis. Don & Armen’s shared history, which is discussed later in the film, reveals their similar past dynamic. So, Don is forced to accept Armen’s order by Armen’s right-hand man, Harout (Max Casella). Harout fixes Don with everything he needs for his job. Eventually, Don heads out to do the deed, hoping it will lead to a fresh start. However, he has cold feet at the last moment, which works in Phyllis’ favor.

Lake George (2024) — A still from “Lake George” (2024)

After Don saves Phyllis’ life by not killing her, she asks him to join her in an adventurous plan, i.e., to steal money from everyone who is out to get her. Unlike Don, she is sly and unpretentiously courageous. Don thinks of every single action through a moral lens while Phyllis wings everything as it comes along. It’s not like she doesn’t have a plan. However, her brain keeps working endlessly, motivated by her unapologetically selfish desires. He, on the other hand, is afraid to admit to his flaws. He wants to walk on a righteous path, right his wrongs, or at least not repeat them. When push comes to shove, his primary instinct is to do anything for survival.

Most of “Lake George” hinges on the same notion: everyone’s subjective interpretation of survival. They all want to take care of the bits of their problematic pasts to make way for their future. Some want to pursue this goal by hook or by crook while others are forced to submit to any possible means. Jeffrey Reiner’s watertight screenplay makes the presence of their past felt throughout the film. He pairs Whigham’s seemingly nonchalant, guilt-ridden Don against Coon’s uncaring-for-anyone-besides-her Phyllis as an oddball, but thrilling duo. They feel like the opposite ends of a coin, which works in the film’s favor.

Whigham and Coon let their body language do far more work than just their faces, which helps in building both characters’ traits. Whigham’s silent hero act feels far more melancholic and layered than the endlessly rehashed representations of this archetype. Phyllis’ seemingly endless energy would have seemed one-note if Coon had not sufficiently toned down her act. Coon is exceptional in this role that could have seemed like someone going theatrically overboard, in lesser hands.

While Don presents himself to be an enigma, Phyllis remains to be one. Whigham and Coon’s on-point chemistry in this context makes the film thoroughly unpredictable and gripping. Their banter naturally reflects their views on fate and destiny, which makes the film even more compelling.