10 Horror Movie Characters You Totally Expected To Die... But Didn’t
4. Brett - Eden Lake
Once seen and never forgotten, Eden Lake is one of the most gruelling and genuinely upsetting British horror films ever made.
This harrowing 2008 centres around young middle-class couple Jenny and Steve, whose romantic getaway at the picturesque Eden Lake quickly turns sour when a group of young delinquents begin harassing them. The group is headed up by Brett, a budding psychopath who rules over the younger teenagers through fear and intimidation.
What starts off as seemingly harmless pranks soon turns ugly when the teens abduct Steve in revenge for him accidentally killing Brett's dog in a struggle. Brett forces the others to torture Steve and even film it for his own sadistic pleasure. To put it simply, Brett is an irredeemable monster who we as an audience can't wait to see get his comeuppance - only he doesn't, quite the opposite in fact.
Eden Lake's climax sees Jenny escape the gang, only to end up seeking aid at a nearby house; a house that just so happens to belong to Brett's father. Brett soon comes home and feeds his dad lies about Jenny and Steve being child murderers, and we soon discover the apple doesn't fall far from the tree as Brett's father and his friends confront Jenny in a bathroom, ready to murder her.
Truly bleak stuff.