Stranger by the Lake (2013)

In the languid heat of summer, Franck, a young, fit gay man, is drawn to an unofficial lakeside beach renowned for its clothing-optional policy and status as a covert gay cruising area. Like many before him, Franck relishes the allure of the lake — the liberating skinny-dips, the bronzing in the nude under the sun, and the thrill of anonymous encounters with other gay men in the adjacent woods. His life at the lake weaves around two men of starkly contrasting personas. The first is Henri, a middle-aged, slightly overweight loner grappling with the specter of bisexuality and personal issues. Cloaked in solitude, Henri remains fully clothed, an anomaly in this realm of bare bodies. Despite their lack of sexual attraction, Franck and Henri strike an unlikely friendship, a rare gem amid the fleeting associations that dominate the landscape. Then there is Michel, a man whose magnetic charm ensnares Franck's desire, blurring the line between voracious lust and burgeoning love. Their chemistry is undeniable, their lake encounters seething with intensity. But Michel seeks to confine their connection to the lake, a secret sanctuary away from the prying eyes of the everyday world. A shocking incident witnessed by Franck casts a malevolent shadow over the sun-drenched beach. As the beach's code of silence comes under test, Franck is confronted with a chilling reality. Yet, his attraction to Michel is so profound that he grapples with a moral dilemma: To uphold the beach's clandestine sanctity, or to confront the disturbing truth about his lover? Stranger by the Lake unfolds as a riveting exploration of desire, morality, and the lengths one might go to protect an enigmatic haven of gay love and freedom. The idyllic beach, pulsating with raw, uninhibited passion, becomes a potent backdrop for this tale of love, secrecy, and the shadows that lurk beneath surface-level tranquility.

Stranger by the Lake is a drama movie featuring Pierre Deladonchamps.

Stranger by the Lake is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Kanopy.

It is also possible to buy Stranger by the Lake on Vudu.