'' Stranger by the Lake '' received widespread critical acclaim . The review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 94 % rating , based on reviews from 93 critics , with an average score of 7.75 / 10 . The website 's critical consensus reads : " Sexy , smart , and darkly humorous , '' Stranger by the Lake '' offers rewarding viewing for adult filmgoers in search of thought-provoking drama . " Metacritic gives a score of 82 based on 26 critics , indicating " universal acclaim . " Reviewing on Roger Ebert 's website , Michał Oleszczyk awards the film four out of four stars , praising Guiraudie 's directing and the acting of the cast . He writes : " '' Stranger by the Lake '' is the sexiest and most elegant thriller in years ... " '' Village Voice '' film critic Melissa Anderson calls the film " Guiraudie 's most sexually explicit and narratively taut work , " adding that " the writer-director 's attention to the anarchic pull of lust , simultaneously celebrated and reproved here , is sharper than ever . " In January 2014 , the film was nominated for eight César Awards at the 39th César Awards , with Pierre Deladonchamps winning the award for Most Promising Actor
39th César Awards
39th César Awards
Stranger by the Lake