One of the Century’s Most Disturbing Thrillers is Streaming Free
We’ve all seen the Speak No Evil trailer memes by now. The gag, if you happen to be unfamiliar, pokes fun at just how often the first theatrical trailer for James Watkins’ American remake of Christian Tafdrup’s Danish original seemed to play before movies. The trailer was everywhere, and it pushed three minutes in length. The good news is, despite collective reservations, the Speak No Evil remake is good (you can check out our review here). I was pretty certain it would be given director James Watkins’ involvement. Watkins helmed the terrifying 2008 feature Eden Lake, and if there was one thing I was sure of, it was that he was up to the remake task. To prep for Speak No Evil, that makes now the perfect time to revisit Eden Lake. Luckily, the movie is streaming free on Tubi.
Per Tubi: A British couple takes a trip to a private and isolated lake quarry for a vacation, only to be targeted by a lurking mob of psychotic teenagers.
Eden Lake is painful. Eden Lake is infuriating. And, most importantly, Eden Lake is so matter-of-fact in its violence, it remains one of the century’s most polarizing, disturbing releases. The film is a methodical, grim descent into chaos, with Watkins exploiting the perceived innocence of youth to shatter audience expectations and run his leads, Kelly Reilly and Michael Fassbender, through the wringer.
Our own Tyler Doupé revisited Eden Lake last year, writing, “Every exchange between the lead characters and the gang of teenage hooligans is carefully orchestrated to produce profound amounts of tension. And each passing moment builds upon that which came before. That results in a palpable sense of dread that never lets up. And just as you think things couldn’t possibly get any worse, they do.” Tyler would later proclaim Eden Lake as one of the century’s “most disturbing films,” and I’m right there with him.
No doubt on account of Speak No Evil’s release, there has been a renewed interest in checking out Eden Lake. Critics and film buffs everywhere have revisited the rural nightmare and taken online to share their thoughts. Check out some choice reactions below (though watch for spoilers):
What do you think? Is Eden Lake as disturbing as everyone says? Any plans to check out Speak No Evil in theaters? Let me know over on Twitter @Chadiscollins.
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