Eden Lake (2008)

83% of critics liked it
(23 reviews)
65% of users liked it
(33,715 ratings)

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… More 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, however, their blissful moment of peace is rudely interrupted when their campsite is encircled by a gang of particularly unruly teens. After the kids provoke the couple by stealing their belongings and vandalizing their car, the situation turns deadly serious as Steve attempts to confront them and suffers a terrible beating. Now it's up to Jenny to flee from her tormentors under the shroud of darkness and make her way to the nearest town, though what she finds there may well be worse than what's waiting for her back in the woods. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: James Watkins
Written By: James Watkins
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Horror

In Theaters: Oct 31, 2008 Wide
On DVD: Jan 6, 2009
Studio: Third Rail Releasing

Critic Reviews

Dennis Harvey, Variety
An effectively harrowing Brit thriller-cum-horror pic whose yuppie protags' weekend getaway runs violently afoul of the local youth.
Lucius Gore, ESplatter
Well acted, well directed, and totally intense, 'Eden Lake' is the best horror film to come out of the UK in years.
Scott Weinberg, FEARnet
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.
Matthew Turner, ViewLondon
A well acted, smartly directed horror flick that's gory, disturbing, terrifying and topical.
Allan Hunter, Screen International
A gruelling, grimly effective British chiller.
Luke Y. Thompson, L.A. Weekly
...while Eden Lake is effective, something feels not quite right about cheering for prepubescent kids to get their fatal comeuppance.
Derek Malcolm, This is London
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.
Anthony Quinn, Independent
Daily Mail scaremongering? Possibly. But formidably well-made, all the same.
Nigel Andrews, Financial Times
Eden Lake: pursuit, persecution, violent death.
, Sun Online
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.
, Daily Mirror [UK]
It's not long before the claret starts to flow. And it won't be too long before you start eyeing the exit sign.
Christopher Tookey, Daily Mail [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.
Kevin Harley, Total Film
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.
Elliott Noble, Sky Movies
Dispiriting and unpleasant, a trip to Eden Lake will leave most viewers feeling the need for a hot shower and a tetanus jab.
Tim Robey, Daily Telegraph
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.
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]
This looks to me like the best British horror film in years: nasty, scary and tight as a drum.
James Christopher, Times [UK]
It's a claustrophobic marvel, and an impressive debut by Watkins.

Read all 17 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Robert C

Complete waste of time. Thought the fact that Michael Fassbender was in it might have given it some credibility...but I did not. Ridiculous premise that just gets more and more unbelievable as it progresses (and I use the word "progresses" very loosly here). The ONE star… More
Complete waste of time. Thought the fact that Michael Fassbender was in it might have given it some credibility...but I did not. Ridiculous premise that just gets more and more unbelievable as it progresses (and I use the word "progresses" very loosly here). The ONE star is an homage to the fact that it avoided the ONLY thing that could have made it worse...a happy ending.
Jeff "

Eden Lake is one of the most disturbing horror films I have seen in recent times. A well crafted horror film, Eden Lake is quite possibly the most intense horror film in quite some time. The story is simply horrifying, and the actors are excellent on screen. Eden Lake is a disturbing… More
Eden Lake is one of the most disturbing horror films I have seen in recent times. A well crafted horror film, Eden Lake is quite possibly the most intense horror film in quite some time. The story is simply horrifying, and the actors are excellent on screen. Eden Lake is a disturbing film that will make every viewer uneasy as they see the events unfold before them Eden Lake is one terrific horror film that blends suspense and horror to create a horrifying nightmare of a film. . I thought that there were plenty of bone chilling moments in this film and that it was a very well done film. The film is intense and scary as it should be. This is a film that doesn't take any prisoners. The film steadily builds its suspense and horror and as you become more involved in the story, you find it harder to tear away from the screen. Eden Lake is a superbly crafted horror film that delivers the chills, and it's quite disturbing. This is one of the most memorable horror films in the past three years, and the scares delivered on screen are genuine this is an incredible horror film that is very stylish and one that you cannot easily forget. A memorable addition to the genre.
Bethany M

Had me cringing with horror. Jack O'Connell is a star in the making and this is one of the best horrors I have seen in a while. Definitely a must see! Some of the scenes are horrific. Especially the killings.
Creep F

Creepy, gritty, and brutal film. The ending is disturbing as hell. I highly enjoyed this film, even though it filled me with rage (I wanted to kill those fu*king kids!) I can't wait to see what this director does with The Woman in Black remake. Should be very interesting.… More
Creepy, gritty, and brutal film. The ending is disturbing as hell. I highly enjoyed this film, even though it filled me with rage (I wanted to kill those fu*king kids!) I can't wait to see what this director does with The Woman in Black remake. Should be very interesting. Anyways, Eden Lake is a must-see!
Cynthia S

Standard survival-against-the- odds fare. The only difference is that instead of the usual monster/alien/chainsaw wielding cannibal, or hillbilly redneck, is this time our hapless victims are fleeing from a gang of bicycle mounted pubescent Brits. Interesting ending. Decently done.
Mike S

Pulse-pounding and well-acted thriller, about an unsuspecting couple, who during a weekend getaway, fall victim to the ill intents of some troubled and violent teenagers. Without giving anything way, this film became succesively more suspenseful as it went along. Very authentic… More
Pulse-pounding and well-acted thriller, about an unsuspecting couple, who during a weekend getaway, fall victim to the ill intents of some troubled and violent teenagers. Without giving anything way, this film became succesively more suspenseful as it went along. Very authentic acting, tied to sharp and skillful directing, has it soaring high above the median line. It's frightening, intense and had me at the edge of my seat during its entire length. My only beef with it is the finale, which left me a bit unsatisfied and didn't feel very plausible. For that I had to retract half a star from my rating. Other than that though it's a really good film. A must-see if you're into the genre.
Dean M

Really good British horror/thriller film in years: nasty, scary and tight as a drum. The hillbilly horror is so well established as to be it's own subgenre and as a cat-and-mouse movie set in the deep, dark woods, Eden Lake screams from the same sheet. But… More
Really good British horror/thriller film in years: nasty, scary and tight as a drum. The hillbilly horror is so well established as to be it's own subgenre and as a cat-and-mouse movie set in the deep, dark woods, Eden Lake screams from the same sheet. But recasting adds an extreme new shudder: for hillbilly, read hoodie. Eden Lake is so locked into its genre we even get the girl-running-then-tripping routine - but there's a grit to the performances that lends a queasy, authentic edge. Kelly Reilly's slow crack into rage is alarming, and the kids are scarily recognisable and frighteningly good as they turn the volume up on the sort of "yoof" terrors so gleefully reported by the tabloid media.
Dead A

This was so creepy. Those kids are just like their parents. Brutal >:(
Lady D

Eden Lake is just one of many Horrors brought out with terrorising teens and yet for me this one seemed so much more realistic, perhaps because it was English made and that makes me, as an English woman relate, but hopefully also for realistic acting and disturbingly natural violence… More
Eden Lake is just one of many Horrors brought out with terrorising teens and yet for me this one seemed so much more realistic, perhaps because it was English made and that makes me, as an English woman relate, but hopefully also for realistic acting and disturbingly natural violence and menace. Kelly Reilly played an interesting role in this and it was good to see Thomas Turgoose take a step back here and not take the limelight after his first two successes with Shane Meadows. Tense and shockingly not far fetched, I particularly like the way this film ended, it stayed with the realistic feel and never took on the clichés so many Horror films do.
Stella D

sadistic punks can ruin your yuppie weekend. decent british horror with social commentary. obviously inspired by them (ills) but the bleak ending earned an extra half star from me
Dean !

An original film described by some as "hoodie horror" as a young middle class couple become terrorised by a pack of feral youths on a camping weekend. What is scary is that some of the behaviour of the teens in this isn't too far away from what is really happening in… More
An original film described by some as "hoodie horror" as a young middle class couple become terrorised by a pack of feral youths on a camping weekend. What is scary is that some of the behaviour of the teens in this isn't too far away from what is really happening in society today. A simple confrontation escalates into ever growing violence until it becomes a case of just trying to survive and escape to safety. There is some social commentary raised in the film about why the kids are this way and parents taking responsibility, but this isn't in your face it's very subtle. Overall it makes for an interesting different kind of horror film.
Film C

never watch so much crap in my life, its one of those films that leave you fruastrated at the end of the movie, this couple go to this lake and end up getting terorised by chavs and then the chavs go to far and its like one bad nightmare after another its riduculas annoying and… More
never watch so much crap in my life, its one of those films that leave you fruastrated at the end of the movie, this couple go to this lake and end up getting terorised by chavs and then the chavs go to far and its like one bad nightmare after another its riduculas annoying and predictable !
Jani H

"Eden Lake" has nothing to do with anything supernatural. Nothing out of this world. The real horror hear is made by something that actually exists... Fucked up children. Is there anything scarier out there? Forget about Damien or Malachai. Meet a bunch of kids from the UK,… More
"Eden Lake" has nothing to do with anything supernatural. Nothing out of this world. The real horror hear is made by something that actually exists... Fucked up children. Is there anything scarier out there? Forget about Damien or Malachai. Meet a bunch of kids from the UK, mainly the one called Brett (Jack O'Connell). I can't recall when was the last time I saw a more revolting character then him. If you want to make decent horror, genuine characters like Brett will help a lot when aiming for something special. "Eden Lake" starts out slowly, focusing more on the relationship between the two leads, Jenny (Kelly Reilly) and Steve (Michael Fassbender). But early on of the film, the kids take place in the picture. They're introduced as normal punks who think that they can do and act as they please. A sad event will lead to a disaster between the two parties... When the 'action' begins in "Eden Lake", it is more brutal and realistic then I've seen in years. Some scenes may cause serious nausea. The factor that really boosts up the effect here is that it looks and feels so real. I actually believe that something like this could happen in our mad world. The actors in "Eden Lake" do a fantastic job. The two leads have made other (bigger) productions before but the kids here surprised me, big time. Terrific job by all. The camerawork is very good and the sounds also work fine. There aren't any surprising shock sound effects here, which is a good thing. That belongs to cheap Hollywood horror. "Eden Lake" keeps you on the edge of your seat. Some scenes will definitely shock you and there are scenes that include gore but it's not over the top, as in many other horror movies. For me, "Eden Lake" was the best horror/thriller I've seen for a while. Definitely worth a look, if you're into more realistic horror.
Alexander W

Really quite random. Guy gets terrorised by kids and then slowly becomes butchered by the little apparent pshcyhos.
_kelly .

The introductory car scene is cinematically identical to Funny Games. On deciding to confront the kids, "If everyone said that, where would we be?" Leave it to a fuckin Englishman to be so damn... English about it, almost deserves it. Still, with this kind of proactive… More
The introductory car scene is cinematically identical to Funny Games. On deciding to confront the kids, "If everyone said that, where would we be?" Leave it to a fuckin Englishman to be so damn... English about it, almost deserves it. Still, with this kind of proactive approach, I'm expecting a fighting couple for a chance. I've gotta do a hit by hit analysis as I've the browser open; expect many SPOILERS. First mistake was to be sorry about the dog; if he had acted all hard and used it as an opportunity to pound the lead little bastard, they might have stopped out of respect for equally reckless ego-driven violence. And then once they get the car, "I can't see!", right so how about slowing it down a bit; they couldn't catch a slow car on foot right away. The knifing scene: and my case for keeping guns legal stands strong; I'd rather a few quick trigger happy caps than this kiddie medieval torture shite. And are we just NOW checking our mobile service bars to concoct a clever Blackberry trick? The youngest kid Cooper is the same actor who plays the central character in This is England and he is clearly retreading dramatic territory with this scene which I'm sure the producer was thrilled to have happen. It's always best to give up your hiding spot the moment your boyfriend yells out to you to run and the mean little kiddies all pause from their torture sesh to peer about. Okay that is WAY too convenient for the plot to have our fleeing heroine step on a massive spike in the middle of bumfuck nowhere and cry out uncontrollably. "Can you please just show me the way?" How about can you please just whip out your mobile and call the police? What happens next...damn that leader kid is FUCKED. I guess tit for tit... random screwed-overs leads to one decent break in a grotty bin. Of course Cooper gets the "oops"...sympathy scene. Am a bit annoyed at the stereotypical "battle paint" look had from the roll in the bin. Isn't this the fence scene from Ils? (just before the heroine is "saved" by a passing car) Wow I don't think ever before in film history has killing a kid been so restorative for the audience. Though predictable and too clearly contrived in plot, this film is sufficiently fucked up and realistic about it to earn an extra half star. "Most fucked up" highlight: "Is it warm?" through "I'll burn him instead", and also the ending
Luke B

A lot of the film is good. Excellent performances and a realistic premise. However the film then descends into absolute Deliverance/The Descent madness, hoping to scare us with cheap tactics. It reminded me of the Big Train sketch "Alfred Hitchcocks's The Working… More
A lot of the film is good. Excellent performances and a realistic premise. However the film then descends into absolute Deliverance/The Descent madness, hoping to scare us with cheap tactics. It reminded me of the Big Train sketch "Alfred Hitchcocks's The Working Class", it's hilariously heavy handed with no subtlety to read into. The main protagonists are annoying as well and don't do much to avoid an obviously escalating conflict. As realistic as the children are in this film (which is terrifying enough on it's own) the film jumps from beating someone up to burning kids alive way to fast. Shocking? Yes. But the similar true life cases are much scarier.
Steve K

Eh. It's hard to discuss my issues with this film without ruining it for everyone, but suffice it to say that I kept wondering why the couple in danger didn't just knock the snot out of the bad guys. Hard to keep up suspense of disbelief as a result.
Cassandra M

#12: Eden Lake Hoodie horror! A nice young middle class couple are trapped in a Daily Mail nightmare, terrorised by feral yoofs in a remote rural community. James Watkins? ferocious and controversial shocker is yet more evidence that the British horror movie is enjoying a massive… More
#12: Eden Lake Hoodie horror! A nice young middle class couple are trapped in a Daily Mail nightmare, terrorised by feral yoofs in a remote rural community. James Watkins? ferocious and controversial shocker is yet more evidence that the British horror movie is enjoying a massive renaissance. Forget the gorno exploitation of the Saw and Hostel franchises, Eden Lake is the scariest film to hit cinemas this year by miles. Best bit: Making it to the end credits. Man, that was tough.
Lorenzo v

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… More
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, however, their blissful moment of peace is rudely interrupted when their campsite is encircled by a gang of particularly unruly teens. After the kids provoke the couple by stealing their belongings and vandalizing their car, the situation turns deadly serious as Steve attempts to confront them and suffers a terrible beating. Now it's up to Jenny to flee from her tormentors under the shroud of darkness and make her way to the nearest town, though what she finds there may well be worse than what's waiting for her back in the woods. Review Refusing to let anything spoil their romantic weekend break, a young couple confront a gang of loutish youths with terrifyingly brutal consequences. This is a dark drama more than a horror film as we know it and where it scores over recent films in this genre is a strong sense of realism, easily identifiable characters, and a totally unexpected ending. While Eden Lake poses uncomfortable questions about gang culture, it's not just about the adult fear of children. It addresses the taboo subject of middle class fear of chavs. Its taboo because middle class people don't want to admit that they're scared, don't want to appear more smug and pompous by suggesting that this chav element is out of control and because they have no idea what to do about it. I wonder how working class people will feel about the film - the depiction of some of their less appealing aspects is very accurate. Are they hurt by it? Annoyed?
Brian D

Very realistic and taut movie.Brutal acts of torture which left me looking away sometimes.Had me griped untill the very un-hollywood ending.Best british flick in a long time and it not a gangster flick or a Guy Richie movie thanks god !!!