Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- harrowing
- dread-filled
- oppressive
- late night horror viewing
- intense thriller marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film tightly made, effective, and genuinely frightening, while some objected to its potentially class-prejudicial portrayal of working-class youth.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The gang's violence and the film's critical debate explicitly connect it to fears about social breakdown in contemporary Britain.
The film is identified as part of the British hoodie-horror cycle and centers on a gang of hostile youths.
Jenny and Steve's secluded lakeside camping retreat turns into an enclosed arena of pursuit and violence.
Jenny's flight through the woods is presented as a brutal, continuous struggle against young pursuers.
Films like Eden Lake, and why
Harry Brown
shares hoodie horror, social class anxiety, brutal pursuit, and bleak rural violence
Deliverance
shares survival horror, escalating brutality, isolated wilderness, and class tension
Straw Dogs
shares homegrown social menace, relentless dread, and morally disturbing violence
Lord of the Flies
shares youth cruelty, social breakdown, and unsettling group violence
Movie Details
- Director
- James Watkins
- Release Date
- 2008-09-12
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (2200)
Cast
- Kelly Reilly
- Michael Fassbender
- Jack O'Connell
- Finn Atkins
- Thomas Turgoose
- James Burrows
- Lorraine Bruce
- Jumayn Hunter
- Shaun Dooley
- Bronson Webb
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, BFI Player Amazon Channel, MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Eden Lake about?
- A romantic lakeside getaway becomes a merciless survival ordeal when a hostile gang of youths turns adult vulnerability into sport.
- What is Eden Lake like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Eden Lake as breakneck, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Eden Lake violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Eden Lake as graphic.
- What did critics think of Eden Lake?
- Critics broadly found the film tightly made, effective, and genuinely frightening, while some objected to its potentially class-prejudicial portrayal of working-class youth.
- Which films are like Eden Lake?
- Films with a similar feel include Harry Brown, Deliverance, Straw Dogs, and Lord of the Flies.
- How long is Eden Lake?
- Eden Lake runs 91 minutes.
- Where can I watch Eden Lake?
- In United States, Eden Lake streams on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, BFI Player Amazon Channel, MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel.
