Stranger by the Lake

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Stranger by the Lake

2013

1h 37m

Drama

LGBTQ+

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

104 Reviews

65%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Franck falls in love with Michel, an attractive, potent and lethally dangerous man.

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Critics Consensus

Sexy, smart, and darkly humorous, Stranger by the Lake offers rewarding viewing for adult filmgoers in search of thought-provoking drama.

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Tirdad Derakhshani

Philadelphia Inquirer

A stunning minimalist erotic thriller that explores with arresting photography and economical use of dialogue how human identity is defined, and sometimes imprisoned, by our desires, drives, and passions.

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 14, 2014

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John Hartl

Seattle Times

Carefully and often brilliantly creates its own Eden-like universe.

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 6, 2014

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Stephanie Merry

Washington Post

What sets the engrossing "Stranger by the Lake" apart is that its excesses seem to point to a moral purpose beyond shock or entertainment value.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 6, 2014

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Bryce Hanson

Horror Movie Talk

It is an engaging thriller, but calling it a horror movie is being pretty generous with the genre. The last 10 mins or so could be considered horror, but the bulk of the film is mostly drama. By drama, I mean explicit, unsimulated gay sex.

Rated: 7/10

Sep 23, 2025

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Brandon Judell

Brandon Judell (Medium)

The film changed my life. I immediately stopped dating LGBTQI+ serial killers after viewing it.

Rated: 8/10

Apr 12, 2025

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Ezequiel Obregón

EscribiendoCine

Stranger by the Lake is not only a provocative exploration of male desire, but also a profoundly human portrait of loneliness, love, contemplation, and threat... A true masterpiece of contemporary cinema. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 10/10

Apr 10, 2025

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Garry A

I've seen this twice now. There isn't alot of dialog and there is a significant amount of time where nothing is really happening. Yet, I found it memorizing.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/10/25

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Michael F

Very slow and boring with no real story apart from men cruising until 1 gets murdered. No real repercussions. Very lacking in cinematography and story until the last 5 minutes. Story could have been told in half an hour. Only positive is the real sexual imagery which the story was about in the 1st place. Reviewing 12 years after the fact so probably irrelevant but wouldn't sit through again 😔

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/15/25

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Audience Member

Absolutely hated it. I only watched to the end to see if the ending had a surprise twist that may redem this awful film. The end itself was a ridiculous non ending. It's like the film maker couldn't be bothered and just quit and I can't blame them. Easily one of the worst movies I've ever seen.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

11/13/24

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vuesguk

I don't like it.....This movie was disappointing

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

10/13/23

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PridePosterStudios

If there was a lifeguard in this film he could have waved all the red flags

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/26/24

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Mike H

Beautiful cinematography for a porn flick. Oh yeah, there's a lame murder thrown in as a subplot.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

09/01/23

Full Review

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Alain Guiraudie

Director

Pierre Deladonchamps

Franck

Christophe Paou

Michel

Patrick d'Assumçao

Henri

Jérôme Chappatte

Inspecteur Damroder

Mathieu Vervisch

Eric

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Synopsis

Franck falls in love with Michel, an attractive, potent and lethally dangerous man.

Director: Alain Guiraudie
Producer: Sylvie Pialat, Benoît Quainon
Screenwriter: Alain Guiraudie
Production Co: M141 Productions, arte France Cinéma, Films de Force Majeure, Les Films du Worso
Genre: Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 26, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $324.9K
Runtime: 1h 37m

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