Jenny and Steve leave the city
for a romantic weekend away, camping next to a water-filled quarry. Enjoying
their romantic break, the young couple comes across a group of local youths who
begin to stir up trouble, escalating to unimaginable consequences.
Eden Lake is British
writer-director James Watkins’s
first feature film, and he has since gone on to direct the British ghost
thriller The Woman in Black.
Watkins takes the classic horror formula (typically found in Cabin in the Woods
type movies) and removes all the supernatural and crazy killer elements, rather
his film is about normal people who cross lines they can never come back from,
which makes it all the more compelling and effecting.
Watkins worked with a great group
on the film. Composer David
Julyan (known for is great scores in The Prestige
and The
Cabin in the Woods) gives the film an extra emotional edge with his score.
Along with Watkins, cinematographer Christopher Ross and production
designer Simon Bowles give
the film a very gritty and visceral look and feel.
As scary and thrilling as the
action is, this type of film lives or dies with its characters and
performances. Kelly Reilly is
brilliant in the lead. She brings so much energy and fearlessness to it – the
audience feels everything. Michael
Fassbender and Jack O’Connell
are also good in support.
Eden Lake has the appearance of a
throwaway schlocky horror film, a dime a dozen. But, it is one of the best
horror-thrillers in recent memory, with fantastic performances and gripping
drama. It is a must-see for genre fans.
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