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Review might include some SPOILERS
Blood. That preciously important body fluid. While inside our body, it works as a transport system delivering stuff to and from different parts of our bodies. When it's out, it can lead to death. Maybe because we bleed, or maybe because it can be used to trace us and where we're headed, for better or worse. But in a somewhat metaphorical way, blood can also tell us where we come from, what's in our nature. All those qualities – literal and physical, figurative and metaphorical – flow through this disturbing British horror thriller.
Eden Lake follows Jenny and Steve (Kelly Reilly and Michael Fassbender), a young couple that decide to spend the weekend at the titular lake but end up being terrorized by a gang of local youths. But what starts as disrespect and just "bad blood" quickly descends into torture and actual bloodspill. This is a film I had heard from, specifically when talking about disturbing films, but I had never ventured into. Now that I have, I can say that the reputation is, for the most part, earned.
The film is indeed disturbing, definitely intense, and most certainly nerve-wracking. The director does a great job setting a pace that starts out as a pressure cooker, building up tension between the characters until it blows. Both Fassbender and Reilly do a pretty good job of setting up an idyllic relationship that's about to hit a wall. Then it becomes a cat-and-mouse game between them where blood is used as a literal way to trace the couple, as the above quote shows, but also as a way to figuratively trace where the abusers come from.
The film is, in many ways, not an easy watch. The abuse that the couple is put through is bound to make some squirm. But I appreciate the fact that the film seems to have a bit more to offer than just blood. From passing references in the first act to parental responsibilites and education ("boys being boys") to the actual revelation in the end which shows you why these teenagers might behave the way they do. Granted, the film doesn't dwell in any deeper social analysis about it, but the implications are there.
Aside from Fassbender and Reilly, special kudos go to Jack O'Connell as Brett, the psychopatic leader of the gang. His antagonist is ruthless and merciless, but also troubled. The script and his performance offer glimpses of what's under the skin. Just watch him during a climatic scene with his dog and Steve which leads to chaos, and watch him in the chilling final scene and the very final shot. Brett might be a psychopath, but if you wanna see how far or not the apple has fallen from the tree, just "follow the blood".
Grade:
EDEN LAKE
(2008, Watkins)
(2008, Watkins)
"Follow the blood!"
Review might include some SPOILERS
Blood. That preciously important body fluid. While inside our body, it works as a transport system delivering stuff to and from different parts of our bodies. When it's out, it can lead to death. Maybe because we bleed, or maybe because it can be used to trace us and where we're headed, for better or worse. But in a somewhat metaphorical way, blood can also tell us where we come from, what's in our nature. All those qualities – literal and physical, figurative and metaphorical – flow through this disturbing British horror thriller.
Eden Lake follows Jenny and Steve (Kelly Reilly and Michael Fassbender), a young couple that decide to spend the weekend at the titular lake but end up being terrorized by a gang of local youths. But what starts as disrespect and just "bad blood" quickly descends into torture and actual bloodspill. This is a film I had heard from, specifically when talking about disturbing films, but I had never ventured into. Now that I have, I can say that the reputation is, for the most part, earned.
The film is indeed disturbing, definitely intense, and most certainly nerve-wracking. The director does a great job setting a pace that starts out as a pressure cooker, building up tension between the characters until it blows. Both Fassbender and Reilly do a pretty good job of setting up an idyllic relationship that's about to hit a wall. Then it becomes a cat-and-mouse game between them where blood is used as a literal way to trace the couple, as the above quote shows, but also as a way to figuratively trace where the abusers come from.
The film is, in many ways, not an easy watch. The abuse that the couple is put through is bound to make some squirm. But I appreciate the fact that the film seems to have a bit more to offer than just blood. From passing references in the first act to parental responsibilites and education ("boys being boys") to the actual revelation in the end which shows you why these teenagers might behave the way they do. Granted, the film doesn't dwell in any deeper social analysis about it, but the implications are there.
Aside from Fassbender and Reilly, special kudos go to Jack O'Connell as Brett, the psychopatic leader of the gang. His antagonist is ruthless and merciless, but also troubled. The script and his performance offer glimpses of what's under the skin. Just watch him during a climatic scene with his dog and Steve which leads to chaos, and watch him in the chilling final scene and the very final shot. Brett might be a psychopath, but if you wanna see how far or not the apple has fallen from the tree, just "follow the blood".
Grade: