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

101 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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Trace Thurman

Horror Queers Podcast

A gorgeously shot, sexy little chiller about the lengths we will go to stay in a relationship, no matter how toxic we know it to be.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 2, 2023

Full Review

Joe Lipsett

Horror Queers Podcast

An essential queer horror text that tackles cruising, sex and death, voyeurism, body image, gay microcosms, STIs, toxic relationship, homophobia, and gay friendships.

Rated: 4.5/5

Sep 27, 2023

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Paul Lê

Bloody Disgusting

Stranger by the Lake is an exploratory film where the execution is both weird and elegant. This seductive microcosm of gay culture can feel like a dream even when it is acting more like a nightmare.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 20, 2023

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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

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johann m

🇫🇷 🏳️‍🌈Dans un lieu de détente pour hommes, niché au bord d'un lac, Franck tombe amoureux de Michel, un homme séduisant, puissant et mortellement dangereux. Franck le sait, mais il succombe à sa passion. A stunning erotic thriller with a fantastic cinematography and a very compelling and intriguing plot. Very spot-on acting by the main characters, especially because of the limited dialogue. The slow pace allows for an entertaining view and it might be a bit explicit at times, but the suspense of the story and the reflection on loneliness and isolation are far more interesting.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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william k

Austere, but intense crime mostly set in a singular location is fascinating for its audacity, although the unnecessarily sexually explicit scenes are a bit off-putting.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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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Critics Consensus: Guess I, Frankenstein‘s Tomatometer

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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, Les Films du Worso, arte France Cinéma, Films de Force Majeure
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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