Summary
- The Lodge
blends various horror elements, keeping audiences on edge with psychological, paranormal, and suspenseful twists. - Riley Keough’s gripping performance contributes to the film’s unsettling atmosphere and leaves viewers questioning the characters’ fates.
- Despite critical acclaim, the limited release of
The Lodge
resulted in its underappreciation within the horror genre, but it remains a must-watch.
As a horror enthusiast who has delved into countless chilling tales and films, I can confidently say that The Lodge stands out as one of the most gripping and thought-provoking horror experiences I’ve had in recent years. The film masterfully blends elements of psychological horror, supernatural terror, and suspense, creating a unique and unnerving atmosphere that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.
Horror is one of the most reliable genres for filmmakers as they can work with a relatively low budget and achieve box office success, as we’ve seen with recent films such as Longlegs. It has a pretty easy blueprint to follow, too. Take some regular people, put them in an uncomfortable situation, and proceed to have all sorts of bad things happen. Audiences know what to expect, making horror a safe bet for creatives. However, the oversaturation of the field means that not every title can get the proper recognition it deserves. One of these underrated pics is the Riley Keough-led The Lodge from 2020.
In this psychological horror titled “The Lodge,” we find our protagonist, Alicia (Keough), stranded with her future husband’s two children at a secluded lodge during a heavy snowstorm. As events unfold, it becomes evident that Alicia’s character, Grace, starts exhibiting peculiar and potentially harmful behaviors alongside inexplicable occurrences. The narrative keeps the audience guessing as to where the story will lead, leaving us with far more unsettling questions than answers at the end.
The Lodge Follows a Former Religious Cult Member
In a rephrased manner: Riley Keough portrays Grace, Richard Armitage’s fiancée. This Christmas, Richard intends to celebrate with his children, Aiden (Jaeden Martell) and Mia (Lia McHugh), at Grace’s family’s cabin nestled in the forest. It’s worth noting that tranquility is often associated with isolated locations like these.
Richard must head back to the city for work, leaving Aiden and Mia in the care of Grace at the cabin. While there, Aiden and Mia start to uncover hints about Grace’s past as the lone survivor of a radical religious group. Despite her attempts to connect with them, they remain distant and reject her advances. In addition, several of her possessions mysteriously vanish. As the calendar turns to January, the house loses power, and Grace starts hearing her father preaching to the cult members. Aiden suggests that all three of them have died and are in purgatory, a notion supported by an article in a newspaper describing their deaths. Remarkably, Aiden manages to survive an attempt at suicide, which seems to prove they’re already in the afterlife.
In a surprising turn of events, it is revealed that Aiden and Mia were responsible for all the mysterious occurrences and disappearances. However, by this point, Grace has come to believe they are deceased. Desperate, she attempts suicide but miraculously, no bullet is discharged. This convinces her of their truthfulness. Richard returns only to be shot by Grace, losing his life. Aiden and Mia make a run for it, but Grace corners them at the lodge and ties them up at the table, with Richard’s body nearby, their mouths silenced with tape, leaving viewers hanging on the edge of their seats, wondering what will transpire next.
The Lodge Blends Multiple Methods of Horror
The Lodge succeeds by avoiding being confined to a single genre of horror. At first glance, it appears to follow the typical “cabin-in-the-woods” narrative. However, when Grace’s cult background surfaces, the film hints that this could be the central theme. It isn’t until we join Grace and the children within the lodge that the psychological horror becomes evident. The Lodge also delves into the supernatural with the deceased/afterlife storyline. This element is heavily emphasized through physical evidence such as the altered clocks, newspaper article, and disembodied voices, which seem to prove that the group did perish. Yet, since Grace’s mental state has been established as questionable, it leaves us uncertain whether these occurrences are genuine or merely figments of her imagination. The fact that the children comply with what’s happening suggests that it might be real. The film excels at creating misdirection.
Up until now, there hadn’t been a feeling of real peril. Although Grace seemed a bit strange, she hadn’t shown any signs of violence yet. Fear began to grow not due to any immediate danger, but from the eerie atmosphere of the lodge combined with Grace’s visions and the possibility of their unintentional demise. It wasn’t until the truth was exposed that The Lodge fully escalated into terror. Although the supernatural events were indeed staged, they had a profound impact on Grace’s mind. She has been affected by the trauma from her past and the actions of the children. Now, everyone is potentially in danger.
Grace, in her belief that she’s already lived her life, acts recklessly and ends up taking her fiancé’s life without any semblance of hope at the story’s end. The children, unfortunately, are left grappling with the realization that they manipulated this woman, drove her to mental breakdown, and now find themselves held captive in the lodge, potentially facing a similar destiny.
Keough’s work is compellingly powerful; by the end, we’re fully invested in understanding Grace’s final destiny, regardless of which scenario might transpire.
Due to its limited theatrical release, “The Lodge” earned approximately $2.1 million domestically. This might be why it isn’t often talked about in horror discussions. Unfortunately, a wider release would have been beneficial as it skillfully combines various aspects of horror, backed by an impressive lead performance from Riley Keough. If you want to watch one of the top horror movies from recent years, “The Lodge” is available for purchase or rental on Prime Video, Apple TV, and a few other streaming platforms. Additionally, if you have the Cinemax add-on, you can find it on Hulu as well.
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2024-08-17 22:31