Nazi zombies rise from a cursed French lake to terrorize a village haunted by wartime secrets.
ZOMBIE LAKE
God help us if they rise again!
In World War II, in a small village in France vanquished by the German army, a local woman has a love affair with one soldier and they have a daughter, Helena. One day, the German soldiers are ambushed and killed by the French Resistance and their bodies are thrown into a lake. Ten years later, the soldiers become an army of undead attacking the locals. The Mayor, who was part of the resistance, organizes a posse with a flamethrower, to destroy the living dead, and uses the girl Helena to help them.
Zombie Lake is a 1981 French horror film directed by Jean Rollin and Julian de Laserna about Nazi soldiers reanimated as zombies who emerge from a lake to attack villagers years after World War II.
- Directors
- Jean Rollin, Julian de Laserna
- Writers
- Julián Esteban Rivera, Jesús Franco
- Release
- 1981
- Runtime
- 1h 27m
- Country
- France, Spain
- Language
- French
- Genres
- Horror
- Also Known As
- The Lake of the Living Dead, Zombies Lake, El lago de los muertos vivientes
Synopsis
After Moore returns a book to the mayor, they discuss the history of the town during the German occupation. His story is about a young Nazi soldier who protected a local woman from enemy gunfire. He was nursed back to health by the woman, who offered him her pendant and had sex with him. Returning to the woman later, the soldier found her dying after giving birth to their daughter Helena. The soldier and his entire platoon were then murdered by a group of townspeople led by the mayor, and their bodies disposed of in the lake.
The mayor says that he believes the zombies are the soldiers returning from the dead. Later, a female basketball team visiting the town is attacked by the zombies. Given the scale of the tragedy, the mayor calls the police, who send two detectives over to investigate. They too are killed by the zombies. The mayor then devises a plan to use the zombie's relationship with Helena by having her lure them into a mill. The zombies enter the mill, which is then destroyed by the villagers using flamethrowers.
Why Cult
The lake's undead are WWII German soldiers, making for a rare blend of Euro-horror and war trauma.
Directed by Jean Rollin with a story co-written by Jesús Franco, this film is a meeting of cult horror minds.
A lakeside swim turns deadly for a group of women, serving up classic exploitation with aquatic horror.
The narrative weaves in French Resistance, wartime romance, and generational guilt as background to the zombie attacks.
Trailer
Scene Gallery
Questions from the Vault
What is Zombie Lake about? +
Zombie Lake follows a small French village plagued by undead Nazi soldiers who rise from a cursed lake to attack locals, blending exploitation horror with postwar drama.
When was Zombie Lake released? +
Zombie Lake was released in 1981.
Who directed Zombie Lake? +
Zombie Lake was directed by Jean Rollin and Julian de Laserna.
How long is Zombie Lake? +
Zombie Lake has a runtime of 87 minutes.
What genre is Zombie Lake? +
Zombie Lake is a horror film.
Where can I watch Zombie Lake? +
Zombie Lake is available to stream on SassyFlix.