Stranger by the Lake

At a secluded lakeside cruising spot in rural France, men sit naked by the waterfront with hungry eyes. Michel’s tanned chest glistens in the water, his mustache bristles like a 70s swinger, and his eyes glow with secrets. Franck spots him from afar while Michel’s out swimming, his body pumping out seductive machismo. There’s just one problem—Michel already has a lover. At dusk, when no one else is around, Franck spies on the sexy Don Juan and his lover from the top of a hill. The two go out for a swim. Only Michel comes back. Could this be Franck’s grim opportunity or a treacherous warning? An electrifying slow burner from the sublime direction of Alain Guiraudie, STRANGER BY THE LAKE is a thriller composed of suspicious eyes, unspoken tension, and a surplus of very graphic sex. Through breathtaking cinematography, ice cold performances, and a deceptively austere story comes this cerebral neo-noir that’s pure cinema. But be warned: you’ll have to remind your body to breathe. (In French with subtitles) —C.P.