10 MORE Horror Movies Where The Hero ALMOST Won

From the undeniable wave of British horror movies that emerged during the 2000s, Eden Lake is the most scathing in terms of subtle class politics and all-out, believable survival scares. It was an exhausting ordeal that baffled many with its grimmer-than-grim final moments.

Upper-middle-class couple Jenny (pre-Yellowstone Kelly Reilly) and Steve (pre-fame Michael Fassbender) are tormented by a gang of tracksuit-wearing local youths, led by Brett (a pre-starring-in-everything Jack O’Connell), in the titular scenic area. What starts as tough teen posturing quickly turns nasty, then fatal, leaving Jenny as the sole survivor. She barely escapes, killing one of the youths in the process, and is seemingly rescued by a passing car.

So far, so typical for a survival horror flick: the heroine makes it out, covered in grime, traumatised, but vindicated for having what it takes when push comes to shove. Hold on a minute…

The driver takes her to a nearby house, where a sympathetic party listens to her story and promises to get help, only for it to be revealed as Brett’s home. With Jenny responsible for one of their children's deaths, the group turns on her, and her final moments are spent cornered in a bathroom as Brett’s father approaches with a razor blade, promising to make her demise as horrific as possible.

Eden Lake leaves us with a harsh lesson: it’s this cycle of violence that created Brett in the first place. That point will be lost on Jenny, as we're left to only imagine her final, hopeless moments.