When a thriller turns to horror by way of religion and fear mongering, it can lose its way, which, in a near singular location with a handful of actors could work but alas, The Lodge falls short.
Previously published on Vulturehound HERE.
Religion is often used as a tool in horror films. Not quite a cult like experience but the fear is that someone believes in something so strongly they would do unforgivable things in the name of religion. Usually its Christians who get the beating and its no different with ‘The Lodge’. But instead of targeting someone who is devout, its the character’s own fear and resentment of religion that plagues them. Aside from religion, its the children who we should really fear.
Brother and sister, Aidan and Mia are forced to spend the Christmas break with their father and new girlfriend, Grace, in their lodge in the countryside. With the memory of their mother still fresh in their minds, they are less than welcoming. When their father leaves the three of them alone, strange happenings take place, questioning who is loosing their minds, Grace or the siblings.
With a similar set up to their previous film ‘Goodnight Mommy’, Veronika Frank and Severin Fiala have minimal characters and singular location to amp up the unsettling factor that run through the film like a poison. Riley Keough as Grace, is the focus throughout. From her reactions to the religious painting and ornaments and brief conversion, we gather that Grace grew up in a strict religious house and may or may not be scarred by the experience. Her mysterious pills she takes are never given a reason as to why she takes them and the kids claim she wonders through the house at night. But both Grace and the kids are unreliable, for most of the film, its a guessing game as who is telling the truth or if what they’re all experiencing is real. A sharp turn to reality near the end of the film answers this burning an agonising question but instead of further mystery, we are left with consequences of characters actions. It becomes less intriguing and more of the same except with no mystery.
‘The Lodge’ begins well with little dialogue and only a few gestures and glances to give a clue as what to expect next. But looses its way soon after the three are left alone. The eerily located lodge and its desert of snow, makes up for the lack of interesting events, but a location can only compensate for familiar tropes of this type of film. A lesson is learnt however, you can never know someone completely so you don’t know they will react to what may seem like a harmless joke but in fact it is the smallest thing that can break them or make them defend into madness. With potential at the start, its a shame the film doesn’t hold up what it promises.