Hey folks, Valkor here, welcoming you to round two of my "15 films of horror"; films that you might want to consider adding to your film rotation come Halloween. Last round we dealt with an Aussie film, this round we hit up the British, with a film that will not only shock you, but it may just piss you off a little. Give it up for Eden Lake, written and directed by James Watkins.
Eden Lake is all about Jenny (Kelly Reilly) and Steve (Michael Fassbender) head off on a romantic weekend towards the Stapleton Quarry, which will soon be called "Eden Lake"; and what a beautiful, quiet, secluded area for a young couple to lazy a weekend away. However their trip is soon interrupted by a group of teenagers, who have no regards whatsoever of the couple's privacy or respect of the land. When Steve initially confronts the youths, they basically tell him to "piss off, which soon leads into a tit-for-tat confrontation between the two groups. And what starts out as a minor confrontation of words, leads into a breakout of violence; first the kids take it upon themselves to taunt the couple by stealing their car, but when Steve tries to get it back, tempers flare, weapons are drawn, and a struggle breaks loose, ending in the death of one of the teen's dog. Steve and Jenny have escaped, but now the teens are out for blood and soon the couple has become prey. Steve is ultimately caught and Jenny is the last one standing as she attempts to make her way out of the forest to get help. What happens later is gripping, gory, and surreal. But it's the ending of the film that will leave you in shocked, awed and angry.
Eden Lake is the kind of film where you wish you could yell at the screen and the characters would actually listen. You want Steve to just walk away instead of confronting the teens. I mean throughout the entire film I'm saying to myself "Damnit Steve! If you'd only had just walked away from it all, you wouldn't be in this mess." Or when Jenny just squats and takes a nap, while Steve is pinned in the car. UGH! Then again, if none of this had happened, we wouldn't have this awesome film. And with that in mind, let's get on with the review.
The Good:
What an amazing film! Eden Lake is a definite winner in my book; from start to finish you're locked in your seat until the bitter end. Ok not immediately, but after the first 30 minutes it's on! And the pacing is brisk and even; it's not too fast or too slow. And the level of suspense is very high. Edge of your seat? You better believe it! The acting is top notch all around; everyone's A-game is in this film with stand outs going to Kelly Reilly, who does an amazing job for all she has to do. You just feel so bad for her character and you want her to get through it all, but at the same time you want her to grow some balls and start kickin ass; kudos Miss Reilly for a job well done. Finally the gore is top-notch and no holds barred; you'll cringe at some of the horrific events of the film.
The Bad:
Not towards the film, but there will be a lot of pissed off viewers once they see how this one ends. If you're like me, you'll wanna throw the remote at the screen. In the end, Eden Lake is just too damn good to hate on.
The Ugly:
The nerdy Indian kid who decided to help the teens rather than Jenny; you know the phrase "if you play with fire, you're bound to get burnt"? Yea…
Eden Lake is a definite winner in my book and I'm sure you guys at home will enjoy it once you've given it a try. Gripping, suspenseful, gory, and very entertaining - survival horror at its finest and I highly recommend it. Out of TOV 5 stars, I give Eden Lake 4.5 and it's been Valkor tested, TOV Approved.
Valkor out!
Email: valkor@the-other-view.com
