Stranger by the Lake

Imagine Bresson making an explicit gay erotic thriller. Unlikely, but Guiraudie may have had him in mind when making this tale of a man disappointed by his encounters on a cruising beach until he notices a hunk who, it transpires, could prove dangerous company. The compositions and cutting, like the focus on loneliness, temptation and transgression, echo Bresson’s work to an intriguing and rewarding degree.