Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
One of the better Dimension Extreme movies., December 29, 2008
EDEN LAKE is a surprisingly great quality and well acted Survival/Revenge Horror film. It's a British film written and directed by James Watkins, who happens to be one of the screenwriters for the upcoming sequel to THE DESCENT. The film's plot is simple. A couple, Steve and Jenny, go to a lake out in the middle of nowhere to relax and spend some quality time together. Steve's ultimate goal of proposing to Jenny is ruined when they are harassed by a group of teenagers. Some back and forth trash talking goes on between Steve and the alpha male of the teen troublemakers. To make a long story short, things go a little too far and result with Steve being beaten and tortured. The teens panic and decide in order to not end up in prison that they must simply murder Steve and Jenny and cover their tracks. Jenny, who is normally a sweet and caring person, is now faced with the dilemma of finding the monster within herself in order to get her and Steve out of the area alive. And boy does she.
I was pretty much blown away by this movie. Next to INSIDE, ROGUE, and TEETH, it's probably one of my favorite Dimension Extreme movies. It's not so much the brutality of the film that made me like it, but the suspense that kept my eyes glued to the screen. Don't get me wrong, it IS a brutal film, but to me the suspense and emotion (and sometimes lack thereof) is what made the movie great. It started off as a run of the mill Survival Horror film and the characters of Steve and Jenny pushed the boundaries of the whole "so in love it's disgusting" couple that most films set up in order to make their inevitable demise THAT much more heartbreaking. It's clever but it's a cheap way to get the villain(s) of the film over. However, once the film went on, what slight feelings I had of disappointment soon left me. The antagonists in the film are so vile and disgusting and unlikeable. Add that to the fact that Steve and especially Jenny are so extremely likeable and BELIEVABLE as a couple anyway and it makes for a win/win situation. What makes Steve and Jenny real is that most adults can relate to their situation. For instance...
Have you ever gone to a movie theater to simply just relax and watch a movie, only to have your hard earned money wasted when you realize that the teenagers who walked in and sat right in front of you during the trailers will NOT stop talking and laughing? In most cases, people will leave the theater or just sit there and HOPE that they stop talking so that you can enjoy what little free time you have. Regardless, have you ever wanted to lift your leg and kick the back of the head of the annoying person sitting in front of you as hard as you can? Of course you have. If you fit the above description, then congratulations! You can now relate to Steve and Jenny's situation, except multiply it by a THOUSAND. And not only can you relate to them, but chances are you'll enjoy this film. But be warned... without spoiling anything, let's just say that the ending is not a happy one. And with the lack of happiness and relief will come a feeling of pure disgust knowing that the things in this film could actually happen and probably, at some point in time, HAVE happened. The characters in this film are real people. No monsters, no zombies, just regular people, which is what makes EDEN PARK truly horrific.
Granted, the film does have its cliche moments. For example, Steve driving into the woods and taking a shortcut to the lake when his talking GPS thing clearly tells him to "Turn Around", at which point him and Jenny look at each other and laugh. Also the story, while well done, is not original and it's ultimately a story that we've all seen before. The film takes a few twists and turns during the climax, leading to an ending that made me feel similar to how I felt when I watched the end of THE MIST, which is as much as I'll say about that. Gorehounds will also be satisfied as this movie has no shortage of blood and torture. A scene that stands out is one where a kid (who looks like he's about twelve years old) is stabbed in the neck and another one (who looks even younger) being set on fire! Needless to say if violence against teenagers is not your thing, you might want to skip this one. Also, by the end of the film Jenny (played by the adorable Kelly Reilly) is covered from head to toe in what looks like a combination of blood, pus, and feces. Overall, it's not an original movie, but still a suspenseful and violent one. It's not so much disgusting as it is moving. The cast and characters are great, the film quality is better than average, and it's definitely one of those films that you'll be recommending to friends just so you can hear their reaction after watching it. If you're a Horror fan, get your paws on EDEN PARK as soon as you get a chance.
4 stars
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Testosterone Kills, January 10, 2009
"Eden Lake" is another fine offering from Dimension Extreme.
Perhaps the best .It's a survival revenge flick that is pretty realistic.
The acting is first rate as well as the camera work and cinematography.
A couple goes to Eden Lake for some romance and relaxation plus the lead male character thinks it will be the perfect place to propose to his girlfriend,ring in tow.
What they don't expect to find is a group of wild out of control kids with major anger issues.
In my opinion if the lead character had a little less testosterone and would have left well enough alone everything would have been ok.
But alas no,he provokes the kids and it only fuels the fire.
What you will see is a realistic game of trading insults and once accidents happen it's gone too far then a brutal battle for survival insures because you get into the "after what we did we can't let them live issue".
It has issues dealing with peer pressure,guilt,how young minds become warped, revenge,vigilantism and then after all is said and done you wonder to yourself.
Who should have stopped this first and at what price?
All in all It's a gritty non stop terror filled ride that does more than just frighten and shock you,it makes you think as well?
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Surprisingly good, January 26, 2009
When I first saw promos for Eden Lake, I classified it as being just another torture flick that provides sadism just for the sake of sadism, with no other true horror elements thrown in at all. Well, I was wrong, very wrong. While Eden Lake does offer some truly brutal moments of shocking violence, it also provides an equal amount of true suspense that really will keep your eyes glued to the screen. Kelly Reilly and Michael Fassbender star as a young couple who run afoul of a gang of murderous teens while trying to spend a romantic weekend together. What develops is a truly frightening, shocking, and bloody fight for survival that shows writer/director James Watkins hardly pulling any punches in showing the audience. Eden Lake's cast is surprisingly pretty solid, and Watkins' pacing is nearly pitch-perfect as well. The only real flaws of Eden Lake lie in its screenplay, as our couple does some pretty unwise things as situations develop, and the film's finale may leave you screaming at your television. Still, Eden Lake is a surprisingly good, and brutal, flick that is notable due to the slickness of Watkins' camera and the infusion of some great suspense, and is definitely worth checking out for horror fans that are seeking a little bit of suspense mixed with their brutality and bloody violence.
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