THE LODGE (2019) Reviews and overview

  

‘You’re not welcome here.’
The Lodge is a 2019 British-American horror film directed by Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz (The Field Guide to Evil ‘Die Trud’; Goodnight Mommy) from a screenplay co-written with Sergio Casci.

The FilmNation Entertainment-Hammer Films co-production stars Richard Armitage, Riley Keough, Alicia Silverstone and Jaeden Lieberher (Knives Out; IT and Chapter 2).

Plot:
A soon-to-be stepmom is snowed in with her fiancé’s two children at a remote holiday village. Just as relations finally begin to thaw between the trio, strange and frightening events threaten to summon psychological demons from her strict religious childhood…

[May contain spoilers] Reviews:

“The Lodge starts subtle, with vexing sound design and a few eerie shots (hanging turkeys, black balloons, a screaming face frozen on the TV), but on a dime, it spirals into outright insanity, taking turn after shocking turn, leaving the audience out of breath and praying for a reprieve.” Bloody Disgusting

“The Lodge is psychological cruelty, both on the characters and the viewers, to a degree where there will be those who are legitimately angry over what is transpiring on screen. A lot of you might have missed Goodnight Mommy, but hopefully, audiences will finally take notice of Fiala and Franz with The Lodge, a film which is sure to be one of the top “feel bad films of the year”. Killer Horror Critic

“Watching The Lodge, it’s easy to relate to that feeling of entrapment. That’s a credit to the movie’s claustrophobic tendencies at its high points, but as it continues along an aimless trajectory, The Lodge proves that even horrible events can be a deadly bore.” IndieWire

“The direction is airtight, but the point of contention will be the script of The Lodge, written by its directors along with Sergio Casci. This is the frustrating part, because on one hand, The Lodge from the moment it begins is unpredictable, and it is highly unlikely anyone will be able to accurately predict where the story actually ends up. However—to hopefully spoil nothing—The Lodge also takes big leaps in character decisions/indecisions, general logistics surrounding said decisions…” MMJ

“There’s a sense of danger in every scene, and a danger created not narratively as much as it is through the film’s visual language and sound design. The film works on levels of discomfort – the one with a new stepparent, the one with an imposing storm outside, the one created by isolation, and, oh, the one from the only adult in the house going crazy.” RogerEbert.com

“Directors Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz build a tense atmosphere that’s filled with trepidation and dread, making tremendous use of the claustrophobic setting (and the creepiest dollhouses you’ve ever seen) to mirror not only the woman’s slide into madness but also that of the kids. The performances are effective…” Screen Zealots

Premiere:
The Lodge premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on 25th January 2019.

Release:
Film distributor NEON acquired The Lodge after the Sundance festival in January and announced that the movie would be released theatrically on November 15th 2019. This was later changed to February 7th 2020.

Disturbing Christmas horror movies:

Technical details:
1 hour 40 minutes
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

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