[Pride 2020] Cruisin' For A Bruisin': Diving Into 2013's Stranger By The Lake

Summer’s here and there’s no better time to be queer! Like what I did there? I am on an endless expedition to consume any & all horror movies I can digest. This journey intermingles with my quest to find hidden gems of queer filmmaking. From Abdellatif Kechiche’s Blue Is the Warmest Color, to Bruce LaBruce’s Otto; or, Up with Dead People; my hunger for queer representation in film, and specifically queer representation in horror movies is insatiable. And I know I’m not alone on this voyage. Now more than ever, representation in film is so important. For as long as I can remember, I’ve felt sequestered from the genre that I love so much, only relating to the many badass Final Girls (and their sexy, snarky best friends) to grace our screens with bloody, gory, vengeance.

In many ways growing up, I found myself grasping at straws to find similarities with the female protagonists who fight physical monsters that mirror the very real evil that LGBTQ+ people have faced and continue to face. There’s a catharsis that comes from watching these movies. As most kids growing up LGBTQ+, we often feel ostracized from our peers because of that feeling of knowing you’re not like the rest of the kids; you’re different. And you know it. I found solace in horror movies as an escape.

It took some time for me to realize my affinity for horror films at a young age may have reflected the angst I had toward my childhood bullies. Did I want to kill them? Of course not. However, watching some of my favorite characters from Laurie Strode to Sidney Prescott defeat the things that would stop at nothing to destroy them…gave me hope and that catharsis I needed. So yes, I think it’s safe to say the lack of queer representation in the horror genre is now glaring. There’s a space for us that has remained almost unoccupied with the exception of a few tenants.

The current pandemic has been extremely difficult and scary for us all. But we must look for some glimmers of hope in it and honestly this time has given me the opportunity to nurture my hobbies, and really focus on the things I love most. I’ve been so lucky and I’m so grateful. I’ve been able to spend time with my fiancé and do what we do best: watch movies!

While on our never-ending quest and browsing Shudder’s current selections, I happened to stumble upon Alain Guiraudie’s psychosexual thriller, Stranger by the Lake. Some may argue this film isn’t necessarily a horror movie. Many may also simply write Stranger by the Lake off as a sleazy, sexploitation thriller but I couldn’t disagree more.

The film addresses themes that are deeply embedded within the gay community and gives us multifaceted characters. Albeit explicit (the director hired porn stars as body doubles and yes there is a shot of an actual cumshot) I wouldn’t consider the film’s sex scenes/nudity gratuitous. Rather, I find the film’s explicit sex scenes & overt nudity fitting as it exploits its male characters the way many female characters have been within the genre. Moreover, I believe the film’s overt sexuality is a commentary on the sexual fluidity that is very pervasive within the gay community.

Almost immediately, we are introduced to Franck, our handsome leading man entering virtually the only setting in the entire movie: the secluded French lakeside that is a popular cruising ground for gay men. Franck is physically fit and soft-spoken; we don’t know much about him other than this serene and sexually charged lakeside is his favorite place to spend his summer afternoons. Guiraudie takes his time introducing his characters whilst giving us time to get to know them and form our own opinions. I think it’s worth noting, the elusiveness of Guiraudie’s characters reflects some gay men’s flippant approach to sex. Not long after an afternoon swim, Franck meets the kind & quiet Henri, an older man who simply enjoys spending his allotted three weeks off from work at this lakeside.

Unlike Franck, Henri is not interested in picking up guys or cruising for that matter. He simply enjoys the peace and quiet supplied by the lake. However, it becomes apparent Henri may be craving companionship; someone who understands him and loves him unconditionally. Franck and Henri’s friendship is warm and comfortable. They don’t feel the need to impress each other, and they genuinely enjoy spending time together. Henri is an interesting and multidimensional character who serves as a commentary on the superficiality that is, unfortunately, too common within the gay community. In comes Michel, a bronzed, almost otherworldly stud. Looking like a young Tom Selleck with a near perfect physique, Franck is immediately taken by him.

Franck spends most of his days simply just trying to get Michel to notice him, sometimes at Henri’s expense. Franck’s lust and infatuation for Michel is almost debilitating. He’s determined to get Michel to notice him…and that he does. Guiraudie strategically did not supply a score for the movie, rather let the natural environment of the film’s setting orchestrate the film’s soundtrack. It moves at an organic pace almost like the slow but evermoving current of its titular setting.

Slowly but surely, it becomes apparent that Michel is dangerous and Franck’s love (or lust) for him could turn lethal. There’s no denying the two share a connection outside of their super-charged attraction for one another. But how far will we go to ignore the dangerous red flags people present us? How far will we go to excuse the actions of the ones we love? Is it all physical? Or is there more beneath the visible abdominal and pectoral muscles? These are the questions Guiraudie asks us.

Too often, conventionally attractive men (especially within the gay community) are excused from their questionable and problematic behavior. Sometimes we’re too focused on the exterior that we ignore what’s underneath. Or simply put, we just don’t care what’s underneath. The need for affirmation can be crippling. The standards set for gay men are high and leave a majority of us feeling inferior, undesirable, unlovable. Guiraudie explores these themes with subtle yet brute force. Whilst making a thriller catered on the gay community, Guiraudie provides commentary on what it can be like being a gay man in today’s society. While leaps and bounds away from where we used to be, there is still much to be feared. The fear of being judged, the fear of not being attractive enough, the fear of being alone, the fear of being killed.

So, dive right in, go for a swim, dry off, and enjoy the ride.

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