Review of Stranger by the Lake (2013) by Guy S — 26 Feb 2014

The hype just didn't live up to the reality. I couldn't understand the logic of the central character, which really destroyed any tension or sense of connection I had with the film. Why, after witnessing a murder, the main character continued in his sexual pursuit of the murderer was beyond me. It felt to me like cliched notions of promiscuity and desperation often stereotypically ascribed to gay men were in force yet again.

There was no clue in the character's psyche, other than a general sense of loneliness and sadness maybe, which would explain his actions. Coupled with a repetitive visual language which tried to be claustrophobic but, for me, became tiring, the film relied too heavily on sex and not enough on thrills and tension.