Eden Lake

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Eden Lake is an intense British horror film directed by James Watkins and starring Kelly Reilly and Michael Fassbender.

Nursery teacher Jenny and her boyfriend Steve go on a holiday to the idyllic Eden Lake, which is soon due to be overtaken by a gated community, and where Steve intends to propose to her. When they get there and attempt to relax, however, a local gang of chavs begins harassing them. The couple drives into the nearby town to try and get the kids' parents to do something, but to no avail. That night, back at the lake, the couple's car gets stolen. They confront the gang, which only results in an escalating spiral of violence.

Unusually for a horror film of this calibre, the film was received well by critics, whom considered it tense and effective in spite of its occasional cliches and Cruel Twist Ending.

Tropes used in Eden Lake include:

• Camera Fiend: Paige, who films the torture in "happy slapping" fashion.
• Corrupt Chav: All the antagonists of the movie.
• Cruel Twist Ending: When Jenny finds help at last, it turns out to be the parents of Cooper, the boy she accidentally killed.
• Don't Go in The Woods: And how...
• Downer Ending: Steve is burned to death by the boys. Jenny falls into the hands of the gang's parents in the last scene. She is then implied to be raped by several men after which they intend to kill her. The mobile phone videos containing footage of the gang torturing the couple get deleted.
• Evil Laugh: While Jenny and Steve are being burned on the stake, the gang is watching in silence...except Brett, who is jumping up and down, unable to contain his happiness.
• Five-Bad Band:
  • Big Bad - Brett
  • The Dragon - Ricky
  • The Evil Genius/The Dark Chick - Paige
  • The Brute - Mark
  • Token Good Teammate - Cooper
  • Team Pet - Brett's dog
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Steve, who is a bit too aggressive for his own good.
• Gorn
• Karma Houdini: The entire gang except Paige, who gets run over by Jenny's stolen car.
• Papa Wolf/Abusive Parents: Brett's father.
• Peer Pressure Makes You Evil: Brett is the most evil form of peer pressure. If not for him, the gang wouldn't have gone to such horrifying extremes. They would probably have walked away.
• Ring of Fire
• Teens Are Monsters: The chavs, with the exception of Cooper.