An odd yet compelling sexually graphic tale, Strangers by the Lake explores isolation, loneliness and sense of other as Franck (Pierre Deladonchamps – Sorry Angel, A Kid) looks for love at a gay lakeside beach.
A sense of repetition is invoked as Franck arrives on a daily basis to the parking lot of the beach, encountering regulars and casuals. Swimming, sun baking and/or sex in the bushes is the order of the day as love and companionship is sought. When Franck spots the handsome and beefy Michel (Christophe Paou – Le chef, Synonyms), he becomes a target. But it’s all a little more complicated.
A psychological thriller mixed with intense calm as the sound of gently lapping waves results in a strangely claustrophobic unfolding, in spite of the film taking place exclusively at the lake and its open vistas. A meditation on the anonymity of casual sex and the disregard for personal safety when already living on the margins, director Alain Guiraudie’s (Nobody’s Hero, Staying Vertical) film is as intriguing as it is challenging.
Rating: 64%
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