Stranger by the Lake
Seen it?2013 | 100 min | Drama, Thriller
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (94% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a lukewarm 6.3 out of 10 from audiences and a box office loss. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who likes to be kept guessing. If you loved Lost Highway, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Tense.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 40 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in French, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Franck spends his summer days hopelessly searching for companionship at a popular cruising spot on the shores of a lake in rural France. One day, he meets Michel, an attractive yet darkly mysterious man and falls blindly in love.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
94% on Rotten Tomatoes, 82 on Metacritic
- AudiencesBelow par
6.3 out of 10
- AwardsWeak
1 win and 0 nominations from smaller awards and festivals
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$1 million worldwide on a $1 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 55K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Alain Guiraudie
- Pierre DeladonchampsFranck
- Christophe PaouMichel
- Patrick d'AssumçaoHenri
- Jérôme ChappatteInspector Damroder
- Mathieu VervischÉric
- Gilbert TraïnaTuesday Night Man
- Emmanuel DaumasPhilippe
- Sébastien BadachaouiEric's Boyfriend
- Gilles GuérinLadies' Man
- François-Renaud LabarthePascal Ramière