Eden Lake
2008
**½
Director: James Watkins
Cast: Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender, Jack O'Connell, Finn Atkins, James Gandhi, Thomas Turgoose, Bronson Webb, Shaun Dooley, Thomas Gill
James Watkins' directorial debut is a simple horror film which draws its influence from the likes of Lord of the Flies, Deliverance and Funny Games. A young couple drives to a remote lake for a romantic weekend. On their car radio, people discuss whether schools should take a more active role in raising the troubled individuals or if the kids should be left to their own devices. When the young lovers arrive in the location, a gang of preteen hoodlums turn their dreamy getaway into a survivalist nightmare. Watkins cannot resist the occasional moment of in-your-face gore, but for the most part this is a gripping and slow-burning thriller, which manages to illustrate the intimidating power of the mob. The cynical conclusion, however, makes the whole endeavour feel like a shaggy dog story.
