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Eden Lake (2008)

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Average Rating: 6.7/10
Reviews Counted: 23
Fresh: 19 | Rotten: 4

A brutal and effective British hoodie-horror that, despite the clich�s, stays on the right side of scary.

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 1
Fresh: 1 | Rotten: 0

A brutal and effective British hoodie-horror that, despite the clich�s, stays on the right side of scary.

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Average Rating: 3.4/5
User Ratings: 34,091

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Movie Info

A romantic weekend in the woods turns into a bloody struggle for survival when a vacationing couple finds their campsite surrounded by an aggressive gang of obnoxious adolescents in the feature directorial debut of My Little Eye screenwriter James Watkins. All nursery school teacher Jenny and her boyfriend, Steve, wanted was a quiet weekend alone, and what better setting for such a romantic retreat than a quiet lake surrounded by a vast forest? Just as Steve is preparing to propose to Jenny,

R, 1 hr. 30 min.

Mystery & Suspense, Horror

Directed By: James Watkins

Written By: James Watkins

In Theaters: Oct 31, 2008 Wide

On DVD: Jan 6, 2009

Third Rail Releasing

Eden Lake Trailer & Photos

More Photos (9)

Cast

Critic Reviews for Eden Lake

All Critics (26) | Top Critics (1) | Fresh (20) | Rotten (4) | DVD (6)

An effectively harrowing Brit thriller-cum-horror pic whose yuppie protags' weekend getaway runs violently afoul of the local youth.

November 3, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety

| Comment

Dennis Harvey

Variety

Top Critic

Well acted, well directed, and totally intense, 'Eden Lake' is the best horror film to come out of the UK in years.

December 22, 2008 Full Review Source: ESplatter

| Comment (1)

Lucius Gore

ESplatter

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.

November 6, 2008 Full Review Source: FEARnet

| Comment

Scott Weinberg

FEARnet

A well acted, smartly directed horror flick that's gory, disturbing, terrifying and topical.

October 18, 2008 Full Review Source: ViewLondon

| Comment

Matthew Turner

ViewLondon

A gruelling, grimly effective British chiller.

October 18, 2008 Full Review Source: Screen International

| Comment

Allan Hunter

Screen International

...while Eden Lake is effective, something feels not quite right about cheering for prepubescent kids to get their fatal comeuppance.

October 13, 2008 Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly

| Comment

Luke Y. Thompson

L.A. Weekly

It is impossible not to admire the way Watkins ratchets up the tension in his debut as director (he wrote My Little Eye) and keeps his tale strictly to 90 minutes.

September 12, 2008 Full Review Source: This is London

| Comment

Derek Malcolm

This is London

Daily Mail scaremongering? Possibly. But formidably well-made, all the same.

September 12, 2008 Full Review Source: Independent

| Comment

Anthony Quinn

Independent

Eden Lake: pursuit, persecution, violent death.

September 12, 2008 Full Review Source: Financial Times

| Comment

Nigel Andrews

Financial Times

It is not often that The Sneak feels like walking out of a movie. But this exploitative, patronising and nauseatingly violent take on Britain's yob culture had your critic eyeing up the exit.

September 12, 2008 Full Review Source: Sun Online

| Comments (2)

Sun Online

It's not long before the claret starts to flow. And it won't be too long before you start eyeing the exit sign.

September 12, 2008 Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK]

| Comments (3)

Daily Mirror [UK]

It doesn't fight shy of a truly frightening final twist, which makes it not only bleaker but also more truthful than virtually every other movie in this genre, which all too often is over-populated and under-humanised.

September 12, 2008 Full Review Source: Daily Mail [UK]

| Comment

Christopher Tookey

Daily Mail [UK]

Frustratingly, there is potential in Watkins' claustrophobic, back-to-nature setting, but, in trying to play 'edgy' with contemporary anxieties, his cooked-to-formula script merely sinks to the level of the gutter press exploiting those fears.

September 12, 2008 Full Review Source: Total Film

| Comment (1)

Kevin Harley

Total Film

Dispiriting and unpleasant, a trip to Eden Lake will leave most viewers feeling the need for a hot shower and a tetanus jab.

September 12, 2008 Full Review Source: Sky Movies

| Comment

Elliott Noble

Sky Movies

For all the brutality of the confrontation with knife-weilding, car-nicking local scum - think Stanley knives gouging out tongues - it's never far off ludicrous.

September 12, 2008 Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph

| Comment

Tim Robey

Daily Telegraph

This looks to me like the best British horror film in years: nasty, scary and tight as a drum.

September 12, 2008 Full Review Source: Guardian [UK]

| Comments (4)

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian [UK]

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Audience Reviews for Eden Lake

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One of the most disturbing Horror film to ever come out of the UK in years. This film will stay long in your mind even after the last (Horrifying) scene. The acting is superb especially from back then the Unknown Michael Fassbender. The story maybe a bit far fetched but will still has you gripped from start to finish.

March 7, 2012

Joseph Mcnicholas

Super Reviewer

Forget Aliens, Piranha, axe-wielding masked metal patients and disease-carrying monkey's, its Ferrel kids that scares me. Kids who don't give a flying toss about circumstances, what happens to themselves or others, who aren't scared of repercussions of their own actions and have absolutely no emotion attached to their

March 5, 2012

Anthony Lawrie

Super Reviewer

Eden Lake Quotes

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1. Jenny: Simply amazing.
– Submitted by Fritz L (5 days ago)
1. Jenny: Somebody help me! Please!
– Submitted by Rawballs B (18 days ago)

Character	Quote
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