EDEN LAKE is another in the recent wake of 'survival horror' movies yet it's nowhere near as good as something like WILDERNESS. That's because the director is so obsessed with conveying a moral message he messes up the film itself, leaving it a suspense-free outing that provides a timely reminder of the horrors of youth culture but doesn't really work as an engaging horror movie. In terms of the morality and the message it conveys I enjoyed it; taboo topics such as knife crime, racism, peer group pressure, gang culture, the murder of innocents, and class divide are scrutinised and it makes for very interesting, if harrowing, viewing. Take the twist ending, for instance, which is horrifying in itself and almost unwatchable, reducing humans to the level of animals.
In terms of being a horror film or a thriller, it seems pretty redundant. We've had the 'heroine battling brutes in the woods' theme done to death, and better, in the likes of SEVEREANCE and there's nothing new here. Scenes like the foot impalement are just there for the gross-out pain factor and don't further the plot in any way. There are some stand-out moments – the bit with the Pakistani boy outdoes HOSTEL PART II in terms of sheer outrageousness – and Thomas Turgoose's scene is one of the most harrowing ever. But for the most part this is par for the course, with stupid characters acting unbelievably – 300's Michael Fassbender is stuck with the thankless role of idiotic male lead and wanders around a stranger's house at one moment – and some singularly unpleasant bad guys. There's no entertainment to be found here, just grimness and depravity. I love films where the good guys finally turn the tables on their oppressors – as in HOSTEL, one of my favourites – but here director James Watkins focuses instead on his theme of innocents suffering so there isn't any 'revenge' factor to enjoy.
EDEN LAKE is gruelling and unpleasant, but watching it is an oddly detached experience. It just takes place, is over, and you're left wondering why you spent an hour and a half of your life in such depressing company. Depressing is the main description I would use for this one.
In terms of being a horror film or a thriller, it seems pretty redundant. We've had the 'heroine battling brutes in the woods' theme done to death, and better, in the likes of SEVEREANCE and there's nothing new here. Scenes like the foot impalement are just there for the gross-out pain factor and don't further the plot in any way. There are some stand-out moments – the bit with the Pakistani boy outdoes HOSTEL PART II in terms of sheer outrageousness – and Thomas Turgoose's scene is one of the most harrowing ever. But for the most part this is par for the course, with stupid characters acting unbelievably – 300's Michael Fassbender is stuck with the thankless role of idiotic male lead and wanders around a stranger's house at one moment – and some singularly unpleasant bad guys. There's no entertainment to be found here, just grimness and depravity. I love films where the good guys finally turn the tables on their oppressors – as in HOSTEL, one of my favourites – but here director James Watkins focuses instead on his theme of innocents suffering so there isn't any 'revenge' factor to enjoy.
EDEN LAKE is gruelling and unpleasant, but watching it is an oddly detached experience. It just takes place, is over, and you're left wondering why you spent an hour and a half of your life in such depressing company. Depressing is the main description I would use for this one.