I don't think I'm the only one that has been less than impressed with the bulk of the horror films released in 2008; most of what's on offer could be categorised as either a useless Hostel/Saw clone or yet another remake, and it's disappointing considering the excellent releases earlier in the decade. Eden Lake may not score highly in the originality stakes, but the fact that it's so well done more than makes up for the fact that any serious genre fan is likely to have seen films just like this one before. The plot focuses on a young loved up couple; a primary school teacher and her boyfriend Steve. They decide to go to an old disused quarry for a romantic weekend, but find their idyllic peace disrupted when a group of young thugs begin harassing them. Naturally, the couple won't allow their weekend to be spoiled by a bunch of kids, but as the situation escalates; the couple begin to realise that the youngsters are rather more dangerous than first thought, and their trip soon turns into a nightmare.
Eden Lake would be best described as 'survival horror' and works mainly due to the realism. The two characters at the centre of the film are both likable and their actions are always understandable, which makes them easy enough to get on with. When the trouble first starts, it doesn't seem like anything too far out of the ordinary; and the director does a good job of building up to the first problem, before letting things escalate at a steady and exciting pace. One of the things I liked most about the film is the setting. The disused quarry and woods where everything happens is really beautiful and this brilliantly offsets the grisly violence. The violence takes a while to kick in, but that makes it all the more shocking when it does. There's nothing over the top in this film; everything is kept at a reasonable level, but the fact that the director has made us care about the characters and their fates makes the film hard to watch at times. The antagonists are a group of kids and while they at first seem like only a small threat; they do become pretty formidable as the film moves on. Overall, this is a fantastic horror movie that fans of the genre won't want to miss, and it also stands tall as one of the best British films in years! Highly recommended.
