Review of Eden Lake (2008) by Johnny T — 21 Mar 2013

Eden Lake doesn't feel like torture porn so much as a rural-jeopardy thriller in extremis. An effectively harrowing Brit thriller-cum-horror pic whose yuppie protags' weekend getaway runs violently afoul of the local youth. Well acted, well directed, and totally intense, 'Eden Lake' is the best horror film to come out of the UK in years. It's not your typical "wooded horror" movie, but Eden Lake works exceedingly well, and will probably stick in your gut for a little while. It is impossible not to admire the way Watkins ratchets up the tension in his debut as director and keeps his tale strictly to 90 minutes. Watkins does a fine job of keeping the chase moving, after an opening act that sets the characters up in basic-yet-colorful fashion. The two leads are quite good, and the hateful young ringleader is played with glowering intensity by Jack O'Connell. The screenplay (also by Watkins) never takes the easy way out, and the director has an amusing knack for leading his viewer to one spot, only to subvert the payoff and head in another direction.

VERDICT: "High-Quality Stuff" - [Positive Reaction] This is a rating to a movie I view as very entertaining and well made, and definitely worth paying the full price at a theatre to see or own on DVD. It is not perfect, but it is definitely excellent. (Films that are rated 3.5 or 4 stars).