Eden Lake (DVD)

School teacher Jenny hooks up with her boyfriend Steve for a weekend in the country. Secretly planning to propose to Jenny, Steve has what he believes to be the perfect location, a picturesque lake in the middle of the countryside known as Eden Lake. Initially dubious, Jenny is soon convinced by the sheer beauty of the location and the couple settles down for the weekend. But their peace is soon shattered by a group of loutish youths who set up camp just along from the young couple and disturb them with loud music and unruly dogs. It inevitably leads to confrontation but neither Jenny nor Steve is prepared for the nightmare that is about to engulf their romantic weekend ...  Read the complete review

A British horror film rated 18, Eden Lake is a scary insight into something that could really happen to you in real life, making the film believable and even more unnerving. Led by two relative unknowns Kelly Reilly and Michael Fassbender, we have Jenny and Steve, a couple off for a romantic weekend together. Steve takes Jenny to a lake which is absolutely breathtaking and more romantic than Jenny could have imagined. The peace and tranquillity is disturbed soon enough though by a group of teenagers who are drinking, and being loud and mouthy. Steve has words with them, and as they ride off thinks that they will be able to enjoy the rest of their weekend. But ...  Read the complete review

I need to start by saying that I really, really didn't enjoy this film. I should definitely point out, however, that the reason I didn't enjoy it was not because the acting was bad or the plot was unoriginal, or anything about the quality of the film itself. I didn't enjoy it because it totally freaked me out! I guess you could say that I'm a bit sensitive when it comes to horror films - I'm not too bad with anything that is far-fetched and unrealistic - Jeepers Creepers, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Halloween are examples of films that don't bother me in the slightest (well apart from the occasional jumpy moment here and there!). What I didn't enjoy ...  Read the complete review

When they say 'Hindsight is a wonderful thing,' they're not kidding, and in hindsight, it probably would have been better if I hadn't watched this film really late last night with the lights off. And it's not because it's a scary horror film or anything like that. It's more harrowing than scary. The horror element isn't traditional horror - it's of the violent and disturbing kind rather than the 'supernatural' of Hellraiser or the creatures of Descent. If you had to make a comparison, this film is more along the lines of Wolf Creek crossed with Noel Clarke's Kidulthood/Adulthood films. It has the brutal and raw violence elements where the director holds ...  Read the complete review

Let's get this out there first - Eden Lake disgusts me. It's vile, elitist, reactionary, right-wing trash. It's a rancid, repugnant demonising of working class communities. It's sickening, and I felt like punching the screen at least once every thirteen seconds. But I could not punch the screen. And why? Because my fist was in my mouth, being gnawed to the very bone. Eden Lake is one of THE tensest, most gruelling horror pictures I've seen in an age. It's the British Wolf Creek, pretty much, except with young backpackers replaced by middle-class man and wife and with the killer replaced by a group of murderous, track-suited adolescents. Michael ...  Read the complete review