Eden Lake
by James Watkins
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DVD details
Actor: Finn Atkins, Jack O'Connell, Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender, Tara EllisDirector: James Watkins
Brand: Genius
Writer: James Watkins
Producer: Christian Colson
Producer: Conor McCaughan
Producer: Diarmuid McKeown
Producer: Ivana Mackinnon
Producer: Paul Ritchie
Producer: Richard Holmes
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.66:1
Running Time: 91 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2009-01-06
Audience Rating: Unrated
Model: 81759
Studio: Weinstein Company
Product features:
- EDEN LAKE (DVD MOVIE)
DVD Reviews of Eden Lake
DVD Review: Eden Lake is the kind of movie that once it gets its grip on you it will never let go
Summary: 5 Stars
There's a lot of hype among the horror community regarding Eden Lake and going into it I wasn't sure what to expect. The idea of a couple being terrorized by teenagers didn't exactly strike fear into me. My first thought was give the little brats a time out. But after seeing Eden Lake I am a believer and all the hype regarding this movie is legit and very well worthy of the positive reviews. Eden Lake is the kind of movie that once it gets its grip on you it will never let go and just when you think the film won't cross that line it does and going into the movie you'll probably figure how the movie will end. But you will be wrong; the ending will leave you speechless.
This was the directorial debut for James Watkins and with Eden Lake in my opinion Watkins takes his place among the best ever directorial debuts in the horror genre. With Eden Lake, Watkins crafts a truly horrifying experience that relies more on suspense rather than violence, but with that said the violence in Eden Lake is quite shocking and unsettling because it feels so real. There's no killer who keeps coming back from the dead these are real people and the characters are so believable it's easy to get lost in the film.
The youth of this world is in many ways getting worse and worse; it seems like that is said about every generation, but I think in many ways it's true. There are a lot of good kids in the world, but more and more you hear about these stories about shocking violence and brutality and the person behind it is just a kid. And this problem isn't just in the United States or in the case of this movie the UK. This is a problem all over the world. This is a problem that can be stopped, while I do believe some people are born bad, but in many ways the problems are created by us as a society who ignore the problems, but than point fingers when something bad happens.
The screenplay was also written by James Watkins and the script was excellent. The two lead characters Jenny played by Kelly Reilly and Steve played by Michael Fassbender are excellent and sympathetic characters who are going away for the weekend and end up in a living hell. While Watkins may not break any new ground with his script, both Jenny and Steve are quite likeable and extremely sympathetic; these are two characters you can root for and when something bad happens you'll feel for them. As excellent as the script was, it's the directing by Watkins that elevates this movie.
Eden Lake starts off a bit slow, but in no ways boring. Watkins takes his time and sets up the characters, but he gives you this sense of looming danger. Right off the bat you pretty much get that feeling of dread. There are a couple of false starts where you think something is about to happen, but nothing comes about. But with these scenes James Watkins really sets up a great tone for things to come and when it finally does it's extremely dark and disturbing. James Watkins makes a movie that aims to shock and disturb and wow does he ever deliver.
While Eden Lake has its fair share of violence it's not really the actual act of the violence that is shocking, but the fact the villains are just teenagers. And like I said the fact Jenny and Steve are likeable that also adds to the shock value. The acts committed by these kids are quite sickening and disturbing. Once this movie gets going it never lets you go until the shocking finale. As you are watching Eden Lake you'll probably think you know how everything will play out, but I'm willing to bet that you will be dead wrong.
The suspense and feel of dread created by James Watkins is truly amazing and the fact he is able to sustain this tension through the whole movie shows you the level of talent this man has as a filmmaker. As I was watching the movie I had this sinking feeling the movie would run out of gas and limp towards the finish line, but I was wrong. The pacing is amazing and like I said once this movie gets you in its grip it never lets you go.
As I stated before the violence level is quite high, but again it's not the actual act of the violence so shocking it's the fact that the villains are kids. Like I said earlier in my review the thought of teenagers as the villains didn't strike me as something that would be scary, but I'll admit I was wrong. Brett played by Jack O'Connell is a repulsive and vile character and that is what makes this kid so frightening. After watching Eden Lake I think the fact that Brett was so young and doing these horrible acts is even scarier than if he was an adult.
All the performances in Eden Lake were top notch; Jack O'Connell is excellent and shows some great promise. I really hope to see more of this kid in the future. Kelly Reilly and Michael Fassbender are also excellent and their characters go through some really horrible things and the viewer will really feel for them. I've seen movies where the characters go through extreme levels of torture, but few characters have sparked so much emotion out of me. I think that's a mixture of the great performances from Reilly & Fassbender as well as the writing and directing by James Watkins.
Don't go into Eden Lake expecting a fun ride; this movie isn't a fun movie. It aims to disturb and it succeeds in that area that very few films before have. As you are watching Eden Lake you will probably like it, but after the movie ends and you think back to it that's where you realize the brilliance behind it. Eden Lake is in my opinion the best horror movie of 2008 and this one isn't to be missed.
Description of Eden Lake
Studio: Genius Products Inc Release Date: 01/06/2009British director James Watkins?s directorial debut is an overtly moralistic thriller centering around a couple who are trapped and taunted lakeside by a gang of teenage bullies, led by a boy named Brett (Jack O?Connell). Warning signs to stay out of this camping area abound, in the spirit of myriad camping-trip-gone-awry tales, like the classic Friday the 13th. The challenge, here, is to subvert those warning signs in order to harness some minor sympathy for the alleged victims to be. However, Steve (Michael Fassbender) and Jenny (Kelly Reilly) are too wrapped up in puppy love to turn around, even when their GPS signal advises them to do so. As a gang of wayward kids pick fights with Steve and Kelly, the couple attempts escape... at first. But Steve?s desire for revenge impels him to search for the delinquents? parents, which becomes the couple?s downfall. A good portion of Eden Lake is devoted to the chase, during which Steve and Kelly look increasingly swampy under caked on layers of blood and mud. These scenes are well done, fast-paced, and here, enacting fear, Kelly Reilly is at her best. But as the film progresses, one sees so many connections between the teens? violence and the abhorrent behavior of their parents, that Eden Lake leaves no character interpretation up to the viewer. Yes, bad parents usually make bad teens. But a deeper investigation into Brett?s inner mind, or his ability to follow through with torture and the sadistic control he exhibits over his gang, would result in less obvious, and possibly more interesting explanations for criminal action. Though many Dimension Extreme films are cutting edge in the horror genre (see Inside), Eden Lake is not one of them. --Trinie Dalton
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