Eden Lake

Weinstein Company, The | Release Date: October 31, 2008

6.5	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 102 Ratings

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ricosalsaJan 5, 2009

The angle with the kids is interesting, as they have great capacity for evil, especially in groups, under the wrong influences. The female lead is a teacher, and should know how to handle kids. This is a good angle that could have rendered The angle with the kids is interesting, as they have great capacity for evil, especially in groups, under the wrong influences. The female lead is a teacher, and should know how to handle kids. This is a good angle that could have rendered an original horror-flick. Unfortunately, it gets cluttered with the typical mix found in too many horror-movies: The victims' irrational, illogical behavior, and utter lack of self-preservation instincts, as they keep messing up, doing the wrong things... and have some bad luck on top of that. This almost fully drows the message in this movie: How the last girl standing should have made different choices. This film is no more than mediocre. A good horror movie should have more going for it than just being painful to watch (which it was, and which may explain its high rating).… Expand

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JayHDec 25, 2008

Very gruesome, but also very compelling. Tense British horror film, good acting, great pace. Very good score and cinematography. The brutality of the film gets to you after awhile.

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djalexAug 13, 2010

I gace this film a 5 and not a zero because of the fine work of the actors, editors, cameramen and other technicians.
In fact, even the directing is good for its purpose. This kind of film puts me on the fence because the acting, directing,I gace this film a 5 and not a zero because of the fine work of the actors, editors, cameramen and other technicians.
In fact, even the directing is good for its purpose. This kind of film puts me on the fence because the acting, directing, and editing are all very good in a lot of these kinds of films. You believe its happening while you watch and you suspect this kind of thing could possibly happen... at least while the film's tension is making you grit your teeth. On the other hand, the whole point of the film and what it suggests is what ruins it. This is torture porn or what I call "The cruelty genre" where humans have absolutely no regard for another human and behave in ways that are very unrealistic in the scope of real life situations. The films character's become so focused on their cruel needs that nothing in the real world intercedes like hunger, boredom, fatigue, distractions, changes in loyalty the fact that someone might sneeze. once the cruel characters start their mission they become demons that never faulter in their quest to inflict harm on the protagonists and this is just stupid. We have seen films make a fine point with extreme violence and the social monsters we create in neglected environments (clockwork orange). How many more of these films do we need to see where the only point is pure manipulation of the audience. The only point is tension itself. There is an old commercial made in the states for Dupont by the agency Young & Rubicam where a voice over tells you how a material made by Dupont is incredibly temperature neutral. They show a metal box made of this material. they show a bunson burner boiling water. they put a baby chick in the box and place the box holding the live chick in the boiling water and the voice over speaks very languidly about the product. the tension is enormous as you feel you are watching this poor little chick die. then they take the box out and the chick is perfectly fine. They sold me. amazing. what is this film selling me? fear and hatred toward the neglected class? please. How many more filmmakers are going to try and say the same thing using human cruelty as their medium. if you need to see this message expressed watch "Funny Games" it has a point and it makes you squirm. IT is probably the last film that should ever be made about callous and mindless cruelty.… Expand

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DirigiblePulpDec 1, 2017

This is of a theme with the 00's European horror films. A fear of youths. Hoodie horror I've heard it called. Its roots are steeped in "The Last House on the Left" and "I Spit on Your Grave". Men get it here too. Growing up and becomingThis is of a theme with the 00's European horror films. A fear of youths. Hoodie horror I've heard it called. Its roots are steeped in "The Last House on the Left" and "I Spit on Your Grave". Men get it here too. Growing up and becoming square is the ultimate evil.

This movie and its ilk are clearly made by men who have grown up and haven't quite come to grips with how old they are yet. They feel young inside but are afraid of the actual young because they don't recognize them or their interests - they have nothing in common anymore. It's all the same from generation to generation but this generation just so happens to be the first truly weened on pop culture - specifically movies and TV telling them how important and special their childhoods were (see the 80's nostalgia parade that just won't end).

There's a lot of good tension here but it's all in service of pure torture (also an 00's theme). Eden Lake is hurtful and mean and unrelenting in its nihilism. This is both good and bad. If it had more to say it might be good, but it's really a genre exercise about a final woman outsmarting these terrible kids (their inexplicable brutality just suddenly happens with little build-up or explanation - it lacks the surreal unknown of "Them (Ils)"). It all works but to what end? At a certain point you just start rolling your eyes when the main character does something like bury herself in a pile of poopy sludge.… Expand

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bartcbemNov 13, 2019

Absolutely gruesome, devastating and depressing picture. While it is very competently made and great acted (especially by Kelly Reilly) there is no beam of light or hope in it. It will left the viewer absolutely gutted. But what for? TheAbsolutely gruesome, devastating and depressing picture. While it is very competently made and great acted (especially by Kelly Reilly) there is no beam of light or hope in it. It will left the viewer absolutely gutted. But what for? The movie would still hold its commentary without devastating ending.… Expand

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