Written by Eve Katz, Image courtesy of SCAD
“The Lodge” begins, as many horror movies do, on a dark screen with eerie music. However, the movie is not like most others of its genre. The scares in this movie creep in just as slowly and painfully as the cold that threatens the characters.
Writer director duo, Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, dip their toes into the world of English-language films with “The Lodge” after the success of their breakout film “Goodnight Mommy,” initially released in Germany.
“The Lodge” focuses on Aidan (Jaeden Martell) and Mia (Lia McHugh), who are being taken to their isolated mountain lodge for winter vacation. Much to their displeasure, they will be spending the holiday with soon-to-be stepmother and third main star of the film, Grace (Riley Keough), who is left alone with the children after their father Richard (Richard Armitage) must return to work.
Both films by Franz and Fiala deal with the relationship between mother and child, yet neither provide any of the heart-warming imagery that would usually come with that familial theme.
The film includes a dizzying array of tight shots that trap the viewers’ focus; tight dark hallways and Riley Keough’s wonderfully haunted gaze are strewn throughout the film. There is nothing outside the windows but snow. The characters are not the only ones trapped in the lodge.
Besides the claustrophobic, nearly asphyxiating camera work that leaves viewers squirming in their seats, Franz and Fiala deliver an icy blue color palette that ensures that movie-goers cannot forget what they came for: a horrific plot taking place in unforgiving blizzard conditions.
Grace’s mysterious and frightening past, the dark narrow hallways of the lodge and the reluctance of the children to form any sort of bond with Grace out of perceived loyalty to their mother (Alicia Silverstone) all simmer together as tensions only continue to rise. The situation grows in its dire nature as the power goes out and the pipes freeze, leaving Grace, Mia and Aidan to discover what malevolent forces have plagued their Christmas holiday without any means of escape.
“The Lodge” delivers scares by way of tight-gripped tension and sudden loud disruptions to the usual quiet atmosphere. Viewers who can make it through the film without gasping, deserve a hearty pat on the back.
During one scene when Grace attempts to bond with the irritated and closed-off Aidan, she accidentally states that they should speak to each other because they are “trapped in a house together.” She tries to remedy this statement by saying that she wants to be there, that they are not trapped.
Oh, Grace, but you are.
