During a family retreat to a remote winter cabin
over the holidays, the father is forced to abruptly depart for work, leaving
his two children in the care of his new girlfriend, Grace. Isolated and alone,
a blizzard traps them inside the lodge as terrifying events summon specters
from Grace's dark past.
Director: Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala
Cast: Riley Keough, Jaeden Martell, Lia McHugh, Alicia Silverstone,
Richard Armitage
Release Date: February 7, 2020
Genres: Fantasy, Drama, Horror, Thriller
Rated R for disturbing violence, some bloody images, language and brief
nudity
Runtime: 1h 48min
Review:
The Lodge is the kind of horror film that constantly reminds you of
other better films while it struggles to find its own identity. Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala mines films
like The Shining, The Others and even bits of Hereditary. The film is visually impressive with several
shots leaving a lasting impression. The
mood and general feel is ominous and oppressive, the fact that they maintain it
for the better part of the film’s runtime is fairly impressive. The performances are all strong across the
board. Alicia Silverstone kicks of the
film with a strong performance that leaves an impression and definitely sets
the mood for the rest of the film. That
being said this is truly Riley Keough’s film.
Her performance here is avsubtle but measured decent into madness. Jaeden Martell and Lia McHugh turn in solid
supporting performances with neither ever breaking into annoying child actors
syndrome. If the film has an issue it’s
that the air of mystery that’s prevalent during the first two thirds of the film
should have been maintained longer into the final act since the reveal takes a
bit of a steam out of the film. A bit
more ambiguity would have served the better and made it a truly special entry
into the horror genre.
B
