Eden Lake

This movie is a great representation of English teens that you might encounter almost anywhere around the country. This is a disturbingly true and accurate movie with logical events.

From start to finish this film is a masterclass in confronting our views on revenge and on how we choose which 'side' to be on in any given situation.

The two adult leads are almost immediately plunged into a nightmare where children have the upper hand and where respect for adults is thrown out of the window yet the adults still view the amoral, feral youth as children (at least initially).

Eden Lake plays as virtually a documentary of Britain in 2008 and as a film gives us a stark reflection of what is happening in this country today. The only difference being that Eden Lake takes place in the countryside while the real violence in the UK takes place on our city streets.

James Watkins has managed to create real tension, real suspense and some real terror in his directorial debut. So many UK horror films come with great expectations and so many fail, but with Eden Lake, Watkins has crafted a contemporary film that is instilled with the nastiness and vicious spirit of 70s/early 80s horror such as 'Last House on the Left'.

Disturbing, challenging, thought provoking and downright electrifying in places, this is one of the best horror films of the past few years and one of the best British films this decade.

Trust me, I live here. This movie is the complete opposite of the likes of Love Actually, Four Weddings etc., and it is far more representative of the reality here. It's not a perfect film, and it's a grim, difficult watch, but it's extremely well and convincingly acted, and it had me on the edge of my seat. Worth watching, and to those in other parts of the world who might think it's all Royal weddings and tourist attractions here, this might open your eyes to how it really is.

I can't remember the last time a film evoked such raw emotions in me. I'm literally teared up and shaking - from anger, pain, frustration and disbelief. Watching this film is an experience more than words can describe, it plays on pure emotion. You're sucked into the whole atmosphere, to the characters - both the good and the bad -, and it really eats you up and leaves you with this bundle of emotions that catch you off guard and in the end, leave you empty-handed.

I'm sorry for not being very precise about the plot and the characters, but I simply can't write an ordinary "this film opens with..." review, the experience was just too much.

I highly recommend it, but not for the weak-hearted.

Disturbing and savage film. Not an easy viewing experience. The ending is frustrating and infuriating.