Psychological-thriller “The Lodge” is a slow burn horror movie that starts with a bang but leaves the audience stranded in the cold.
“The Lodge” was released in 2019 and is now streaming on Hulu, which is where I stumbled upon it. Being a big horror fan, I was intrigued by the premise of the film and was ready to see if this was a run-of-the-mill horror movie or something new. Let’s just say it was a mixed feeling experience.
Directed by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, “The Lodge” follows a family recently wrecked by tragedy. Six months after a horrible incident, a father and his new fiance take his two children up to a remote cabin for the holidays. Having to go back to work for a couple of days, the father leaves the two kids and his fiance alone to bond. As the trio finally starts to connect, a blizzard traps them and cuts them off from the outside world. Not long after, strange and terrifying events begin to unfold that lead back to the children’s soon-to-be stepmom’s dark past.
Now I will try not to give too much away, but the movie felt strongly influenced by other big-name films such as “Hereditary” and “The Shining.” The feelings of isolation and claustrophobia driving madness along with religious cults remind me of those two other films.
However, “The Lodge” breathes originality with an unforgettable twist that leaves the audience baffled.
Since the twist is what spirals the main character into sheer madness, I do not want to spoil anything. Instead, I will list what worked in this movie and what did not.
Pros:
- Eerie, bleak atmosphere
- Dark, mysterious cult
- Remote cabin during a blizzard
- Rocky new-family dynamic
Cons:
- Slow-build up
- Weak ending
- Terrible parenting (I mean who leaves their kids who just experienced something traumatic with someone with a questionable past alone in a remote cabin?)
While the movie had a very strong start, the plot was dragged along for far too long and had a weak ending. The film was building up, and the audience can definitely feel the rise up. Yet all of the various factors that were creating an epic climax scene just fell flat.
As I was watching it, I was waiting and waiting to see what was really going on. Is something paranormal going on? Or is the isolation causing the trio to lose their minds? Yet when the situation is finally revealed, the thrill is quickly lost.
The problem was not the twist itself, but how it was handled afterward. The reveal was short-lived and felt as if the writers wanted to quickly end the movie. Not to mention since the plot is a slow burn, it makes no sense how the ending could not have been done better.
Aside from the poor ending, the movie does execute an uncomfortable atmosphere which works in its favor. The whole movie I felt trapped with them, wondering when it would finally end. The remote, snowy environment created unnerving tension that definitely bumped up the suspense.
Overall, I would rate this movie a 50/50 experience. On one hand, the movie was not the worst horror movie, but it certainly was not the best. There were various weak spots that could have been improved to make a stronger movie, but hey what movie is perfect? I would say if you have 2 hrs to spare, give it a go!
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