Eden Lake (2008)

Eden Lake is a backwater town full of unruly assholes, where a well-meaning vacationing couple unfortunately find themselves caught up in the middle of it, terrorized by a group of young hoodlums. This is a very distressing film that is hard to look away from, and hinges on the border of torture porn with its depictions of sadistic violence, yet it's unforgettable for all the right reasons.

3 Rottweilers out of 5

(cuckoo's take)

CALVARY [2014]

John Michael McDonagh's second directorial feature is the disturbing and satirical black comedy Calvary.
Brendan Gleeson is fantastic as a Catholic priest who is told he's going to be murdered in a week during a confession.  His performance is filled with depth that portrays anguish, love, contempt and buried anger that is ever so subtle.  He's surrounded by a flock of villagers that wouldn't be out of place in a town like Twin Peaks, where they all have unsettling quirks and nasty secrets.  The story unfolds like a stageplay with gnashing teeth, beautifully written dialogue and a cast of characters one could only dream of.  Let's not forget the wonderful photography which plays a part all it's own and Patrick Cassidy's heartbreaking score which forced a lump in my throat through the opening credits.
It tells a story that is deceivingly abstract that simply lets us know there's still good in this world using the most cynical, frightening and depressing ways possible.

5 paintings to piss on out of 5

A SINGLE SHOT [2013]

Director David M. Rosenthal really lays down the dreary atmosphere in the slow-burn backwoods suspense film A Single Shot.
Sam Rockwell is exceptionally excellent as a poverty-stricken hunter that stumbles upon a small fortune of cash after he accidentally kills a girl mistaking her for a deer.  It's beautifully shot with it's muted colors and haunting landscapes, which is all complimented with composer Atli Örvarsson's chilling Penderecki-esque score.   Quite a bit of the dialogue is difficult to understand, due to the character's mumbling and many will find it too slow to fully appreciate but it rewards with Rockwell's performance.

3½ dead girls wrapped in plastic out of 5

FLIGHT [2012]

Director Robert Zemeckis makes a bold return to his first live-action film since 2000's Cast Away for the surprisingly quiet character drama, Flight. 

Normally Zemeckis isn't particularly subtle with his work but with the help with some finely subdued performances from Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle and Kelly Reilly, Flight is able to stay grounded and focus on wonderful & complex character moments.  It's wonderful to see Zemeckis drop the motion-capture animated films for something a little more quieter and hardly depending on any FX at all.

3½ upside down planes out of 5

EDEN LAKE [2008]

James Watkins directs this brutal and upsetting British thriller that is more miss than hit. It follows a couple on a camping trip that's disturbed by a group of bad seed kids, one of which turns out to be a sociopathic murderer. 

It's fairly predictable in some spots and the complete opposite in others.  Several scenes threaten to fall apart, however it manages to compromise that with an ending that leaves your jaw on the floor with an overwhelming and uncomfortable feeling of disgust and sadness for humanity.

2½ unlucky dogs out of 5

(bud's take)