Eden Lake

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Most people who settle down to watch this intriguing and well-handled thriller will be somewhat familiar with the "villains" of the film. They're teenage hoodlums who are bored, and looking for a violent outlet to convey their sporadically repressed feelings of rage. When young, attractive and successful couple Steve (Fassbender) and Jenny (Reilly) turn up in their "patch" to have a tranquil weekend by a lake, they're subjected to a slow escalation of abuse and violence by the group of over-zealous hoodrats, who are intent on intimidating 'the yuppies'. First-time director Watkins does a brilliant job of building tension, taking his time while hinting at a strong sense of the foreboding, using only hints of menace in an ominous but subtle score. If Eden Lake was going to work, it would have to be realistic, and not descend into the cliché-ridden conventions of an increasingly inhospitable genre. That means making the villains as real as the victims, and avoiding overblown set pieces. Watkins does this very well, but also has a lot of things his wants to say about the 'hoodie culture' that has bled from the UK onto our streets. While the message that he's trying to get across may be slightly heavy-handed, the film itself has a shocking, visceral feel to its violence. The main characters are relatable, and their horrible predicament possible. Watkins has used the likes of Last House on the Left and other grittily-realised '70s genre stalwarts as a starting point; which also works in favour of his 'hitting close to home' intentions. Performance-wise, everyone here is universally excellent, with Reilly and Fassbender evoking sympathy - the former being admirably game in a prolonged and messy conclusion. Our gang of blade-wielding wrong-sorts are instantly detestable, too, but less so than their ignorant parents. It does over-rely slightly on coincidence - especially in the home stretch - but for the most part, this is a worthwhile and inherently bleak addition to a genre that was in need of a kick up the arse.