House by the Lake (2018) User Reviews (6)

House by the Lake

[bobcobb301 · 8/10 · 9 February 2018]

It didn't need to be an hour and a half. We knew what they were trying to accomplish with this episode and how it was going to end, but it was still a pretty strong program tonight. They managed to get you inside the head of David here and how much of a predicament he was in and you would be in if you found yourself in this horrid situation.

I don't think Darren Criss deserves an Emmy for this role, which he has a good shot at, but I have to admit he has been doing a solid job this season in bringing the monster of Andrew to life.

Andrew Cunanan shows he is a cold blooded premeditated killer

[Ed-Shullivan · 8/10 · 9 February 2018]

This mini-series continues to take us backward in time each week. In this episode we don't get to witness any shape or form of conscious or kindness from Andrew Cunanan played by Darren Criss. What we do get to see is the total control Andrew takes over his friend and architect David Madson played by Cody Fern. How he takes over full control of Cody is by inviting their mutual friend Ronnie (played by Max Greenfield) over to Cody's warehouse condo, and as soon as Ronnie walks in the front door, Andrew viciously attacks Ronnie with a hammer bludgeoning him to death and splattering the condo walls with Ronnie's blood.

David is left shocked and scared to death by who he has let into his condo and more importantly into his life. Andrew Cunanan proves he is a vicious murderer who can lose control in a heartbeat. This episode focuses on both the professional success of the young architect David Madson, his infidelity with his friend Ronnie while being in a supposed relationship with Andrew Cunanan, and throughout the episode we see flashbacks of a young David as a boy with his father who he respects greatly.

In this episode we witness Andrew planning then executing what he believes he needs to do to take control of David Madson and in so doing ruining David's life and future aspirations in an instance of sheer brutality. Why Andrew Cunanan behaves the way he does we are not privy to yet. As the episodes continue to bring us back in time maybe we will see a little bit more of the mindset and what exactly makes Andrew beat to a different drummer than most of the rest of the world.

Terrifying and heartbreaking

[Kino26TV5 · 10/10 · 17 February 2019]

I found this episode to be absolutely gripping and among the most memorable dramas I've ever seen. It's not a spoiler to reveal that this episode is focused on Andrew Cunanan; in fact the entire season is much more about him than Gianni Versace. But don't let that throw you. Without giving anything away, this episode is simply amazing, and nearly unparalleled in it's ability to bring both the criminal and the victims to life.

Far too many crime dramas overly focus on the criminal, or almost glorify the violence they commit. Here, the victims are fleshed out; the violence is brutal, messy, and devastating on many levels. In later episodes we learn more about everything that led up to it. In this episode though, one is face to face with the fear, sadness, horror. and tragedy stemming from a violent crime. Interwoven painfully and powerfully throughout this episode (and the entire season) are the stark realities of being gay in America in the 1990s. Add to that a bravo performance by all the main players--this is one to watch; and one to remember.

What's going on??

[LaLaLoveland · 4/10 · 9 August 2018]

I thought this series was about the murder of Gianni Versace. This is the second episode that has totally nothing to do with the murder. They should have called it "The murderer Andrew Cunanan"

Cody Fern was a total miscast

[TheFearmakers · 4/10 · 8 November 2019]

And one of the lowpoints of this doc. Not for his acting; his acting is good. But he looks nothing like the real David, and way, way too young to be a successful grown man, who was 35 years old, and Fern looks 22, or younger. It's the worst episode of the series but not terrible. Andrew crying to the Til Tuesday singer singing a Cars song was just totally pop culture forced, and David's backstory was bland. It would have served him better to see his career, and what kind of man he was, not what kind of kid he was that led to a doomed human being.

Slow

[Calicodreamin · 5/10 · 24 August 2020]

A slow moving episode. The storyline reveals a lot a about cunanans character and motivation. It personalizes the people other than Versace that were killed in Cunanans spree. However, the title feels a bit misleading when the focus lies elsewhere.