Eden Lake

An effectively harrowing Brit thriller-cum-horror pic whose yuppie protags' weekend getaway runs violently afoul of the local youth.

...while Eden Lake is effective, something feels not quite right about cheering for prepubescent kids to get their fatal comeuppance.

The film's one major fault is that Reilly's character repeatedly acts in ways that serve the plot, but which run contrary to rational human behaviour. By contrast, the shattering downbeat ending is well earned and genuinely shocking.

...it's hard to deny that the ultra-downbeat finale feels needlessly mean-spirited.

Works exceedingly well, and will probably stick in your gut for a little while.

A solid horror thriller worthy of a watch, if only for its insight in to how easily the hive mentality can be formed, and how merciless it can be.

Well acted, well directed, and totally intense, 'Eden Lake' is the best horror film to come out of the UK in years.

A gruelling, grimly effective British chiller.

A well acted, smartly directed horror flick that's gory, disturbing, terrifying and topical.

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.

Daily Mail scaremongering? Possibly. But formidably well-made, all the same.

Eden Lake: pursuit, persecution, violent death.