Stranger by the Lake

Franck passes his summer days at a lakeside spot in rural France where men meet for sex, hoping to find someone. He strikes up a friendship with Henri, a heavier man who sits apart from the others and seems to want only company. Franck's attention, though, goes to Michel, a powerful swimmer whose attractiveness is matched by an air of danger. Franck understands what Michel is capable of but chooses to pursue him anyway.

Alain Guiraudie wrote and directed this French drama-thriller, his fourth feature, released in 2013. Pierre Deladonchamps plays Franck, Christophe Paou plays Michel and Patrick d'Assumçao plays Henri. Twenty-six performers are credited. Sylvie Pialat and Benoît Quainon produced.

Made for around a million dollars, the film took in roughly the same amount worldwide. On IMDb it holds 6.9/10 from about 18,000 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 6.3/10 from some 477 votes. A critics' rating of 7.8/10 across 104 reviews places it clearly above those audience scores. Guiraudie followed it with Staying Vertical in 2016 and Misericordia in 2024.