Mercedes Bryce Morgan has been busy ever since graduating with a BA in Film and a Television Production in 2018. Since then, she has directed and executive produced “Stargate Origins”, a continuation of the Stargate franchise for MGM Studios, directed Todrick Hall’s entire visual album “Forbidden”, as well as directing more music videos for artists such as Mashmello, Slushii and Saygrace.

Mercedes’s feature film directorial debut “Fixation”, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022, the same year in which she directed her second feature film “Spoonful of Sugar”, which premiered on Shudder and claimed her a spot in our women in horror to watch list.  

Last year she directed the erotic horror “Bone Lake”, which she sat down with us to discuss. Released in October 2025, “Bone Lake” follows a couple’s romantic vacation at a secluded lakeside estate attempting to rekindle their relationship when they end up forced to share the mansion with a mysterious and attractive couple. 

Ella Valentine: Hi Mercedes, it’s great to have you here! There is so much to unpack about “Bone Lake”! Can you start with telling us more about how you came on board with the project?

Mercedes Bryce Morgan: My agents sent me the script and I devoured it in one sitting. I’m drawn to projects that have tension threaded throughout, whether that’s mystery, sexual tension, or the threat of death, and this script had all three.

Ella Valentine: Was this the first time you worked with Joshua and what was the collaboration process like? 

Mercedes Bryce Morgan: Yes, this was our first time working together. I appreciated how much Josh and the team welcomed me honing in on the female characters and fleshing them out more. Both the beginning and end are different from the original script, and it felt great to have a hand in shaping that.

Ella Valentine: The tone of the movie is very dark and red and sexy throughout. What was the biggest challenge on set in terms of getting the tone right?

Mercedes Bryce Morgan: For me, it was key that this movie didn’t take itself too seriously. It’s meant to be a fun time at the theater (or now streaming!), but I also wanted the characters to feel grounded within that. It was important to create something that starts off almost like a European erotic thriller and then really pays off the horror in the end.

Ella Valentine: There must have been a lot of psychoanalytical character development too. What were the main traits in each character you were set on getting across right?

Mercedes Bryce Morgan: Sage is a fun character for me because audiences question her, even by the end, but you have to decide whether or not to trust her, the same way Diego does. She’s someone who speaks her mind, but they’re still not having the right conversations. Diego comes across as a modern boyfriend who respects his partner because she’s the breadwinner, but at the same time, he doesn’t quite treat her that way. He’s fiercely lovable though, and they’re both smart, which is the kind of protagonists I like to see in horror.

As for Will and Cin, in a wild way, they actually have better communication than anyone else in the story, they just have a fucked-up, fun time proving it to everyone else.

Ella Valentine: I am a sucker for erotic horrors and “Bone Lake” is very intimate, intense and personal. I’d be curious to hear about some of the unexpected decisions you had to make in the directing process for it to hit those buttons? 

Mercedes Bryce Morgan: I’m a big fan of coming in with a very clear vision but also shooting different alts for certain scenes. That allows me control in the edit, deciding how we feel about certain characters at different points and when we reveal plot twists. Within that, I also created space for the actors to bring their own flavor beyond what was on the page, which led to a lot of those great unexpected moments.

Ella Valentine: What was the goal when developing the interactions between the four characters and their independent relationships with each other? Because it does get messy more than once! 

Mercedes Bryce Morgan: For Sage and Diego, I wanted to create something really modern, two people trying to be equals but missing the mark. For Will and Cin, I wanted the seduction to be not just physical but mental, and for that to tie directly to their backstories.

Ella Valentine: I recently saw “The House of Yes” which is such a 90s gem and it made me feel like family relationships are not explored enough in horror! What were your film references or inspirations for directing this complex relationship between the siblings?

Mercedes Bryce Morgan: “The House of Yes” is such a gem. I referenced that and a lot of French films. I love international cinema because it introduces characters and plot twists that push boundaries beyond what people are comfortable with, which makes it all the more satisfyingly shocking. Beyond that, I wanted the siblings to treat each other like partners, because that’s truly how they see each other.

Ella Valentine: I don’t know if it’s just me but I didn’t trust certain characters were telling the truth when it came to the cheating accusations (without me giving away spoilers!) which only commends your work because it does make you wonder! What is your advice on establishing trust once that trust has been broken?

Mercedes Bryce Morgan: Trust is invisible. You either choose to have it or not. It takes so long to build and can be broken instantly. Rebuilding it has to be an active choice. It’s a beautiful but scary thing we’re asking the characters, and the audience, to choose.

Ella Valentine: I’d have to agree! What do you look for in a script?

Mercedes Bryce Morgan: I always trust my gut reaction on the first read. If it’s trying to make me cry, laugh, or sit on the edge of my seat, does it actually succeed? Can I read it in one sitting, or does my mind wander? We’ve seen so many of the same stories told over and over again, so in this case it wasn’t about that for me, it was about perspective. Does it offer a new viewpoint, or at least feel earnest in its execution?

Ella Valentine: You’ve directed quite a lot of perplexing storylines! I also loved “Spoonful of Sugar”! What is on the radar for the future? 

Mercedes Bryce Morgan: Thank you! I absolutely love the erotic thriller and horror genres, and I have projects in that space coming up. But I’m also a huge fan of comedic surrealism, and I’m excited to direct in that world next.

Ella Valentine: What advice can you give aspiring filmmakers particularly for directing erotic horrors and thrillers?

Mercedes Bryce Morgan: Make sure your shooting days are actually executable. It’s one thing to have great ideas, but the technical know-how makes all the difference. Smaller shoots before a feature are a great way to test and practice. Even if you’re not the writer, make sure you know the story inside and out, it’s your north star. Anything not fixed beforehand or addressed on set will absolutely show up in your test screening notes later.

Ella Valentine: That’s such useful advice! Speaking of the filmmaking journey, what mistakes have you made along the way? I believe mistakes are a great teacher and that’s why we shouldn’t even try to avoid most of them since they get us to where we need to be! 

Mercedes Bryce Morgan: I completely agree. When I was starting out, I put too much prep into the wrong details and not enough into the right ones. Experience teaches you what actually matters. For example, I used to storyboard every scene, even simple two-person dialogue, but I realized that can stifle organic collaboration with actors. Now I focus that same energy on shot lists so I understand the day, the world, and the logistics, but just enough to leave room for spontaneity and that creative spark.

Ella Valentine: Thank you so much! We can’t wait to see what you do next!