Directed by Alain Guiraudie, Stranger by the Lake L'Inconnu du lac

5. Where to Watch (as of 2025)

• Streaming: Often available on The Criterion Channel, Mubi, and Kanopy (library card required).
• Digital rental: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu.
• Physical media: Criterion Collection Blu-ray (region A) or Artificial Eye DVD/Blu-ray (region B).

The film is also obsessed with looking. Long shots dominate: we see Franck watching Michel from across the water, or Henri watching Franck from the beach. The car park becomes a panopticon of headlights. The camera often assumes the perspective of a hidden observer, hiding behind trees or peering through gaps in foliage. This forces the audience into a complicit position. We see the murder. Like Franck, we choose not to intervene. We are strangers by the lake, too.

Crew: Directed by Pierre Godeau, written by Pierre Godeau, produced by Hugo Coma and others.