'The Lodge' twists itself into terrifying knots — movie review

In The Lodge, Grace is tasked with taking care of future stepkids in a remote cabin where things slowly spiral into cold madness

The Lodge, which premiered at last year's Sundance Film Festival, feels similar to another horror that just premiered at this year's Sundance, The Night House. Both movies rely on a dread-filled atmosphere that is relentlessly bleak and play thematically in the realm of grief and trauma. They also have the same issues. Despite a slow-burn plot that strikes just the right balance of mystery and horror, they eventually start getting a little too far into their own twists before becoming a little too incredulous to overlook.

Richard (Richard Armitage) maybe too bluntly tells his wife Laura (Alicia Silverstone), who is separated from, that they need to finalize their divorce so her can marry Grace (Riley Keough) much to their kids Aiden (Jaeden Martell) and Mia's (Lia McHugh) dismay. Laura doesn't take the news well. Some time later in an effort for the kids to get to know her, Richard suggests they go to the family's isolated cabin, which is tucked away in a snowy tundra, where Grace will watch over them while he goes to work in the city without a car and no civilization for miles. A little suspension of disbelief is needed. Trust me, this isn't the most unbelievable plot point. 

Aiden and Mia are obviously not happy with the arrangement. Not only are they stuck with their future stepmom and was involved in the demise of their mother, Grace is also a former patient of Richard's — keep that disbelief suspended — who is the only survivor of a religious cult that committed mass suicide. The kids are petrified to be around her and often shut themselves away. 

What the movie does incredibly well is give us both sides of the narrative almost simultaneously. While we can see and feel the kid's reluctance to accept this new woman into their lives, we also see Grace's struggle to connect with them in the face of her past trauma and the person she's replacing — the house is covered in religious totems from Laura.

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The movie then takes a shift towards The Innocents or The Shining as Laura begins to see and hear flashes from her past urging her to repent and even more sinister things going on in the house. First the power and the heat go off, then her beloved dog goes missing, then the food and jackets go missing. The assault of extraordinary happenings starts to push Laura towards the edge. She starts to sleepwalk, sometimes with a gun in her hand. She starts to confuse the kids for the bodies of her cult members. However, it's when she finally steps off the edge that the movie starts its uncontrollable descent.

Though Ari Aster's Hereditary hadn't been released by the time The Lodge was in production, it's hard not to compare the two. Both begin with a traumatic and mine similar imagery — a creepy dollhouse, vaguely comedic funeral. However, The Lodge feels a lot less elegant than the assured and rhythmic style of Hereditary, which stays in the domain of arthouse. 

Directors and co-writers Veronika Franz and Severin Faila (Sergio Casci was also a writer), who previously co-directed the similarly unnerving Goodnight Mommy, have a clear style. And while I wish it felt more singular, it serves the core story. The probably is that the plot becomes unwieldy and unrealistic, which clashes with their style. It almost needed Aster's hyper-stylized touch for it to work. 

However, there's no denying just how effective the tension-building is in The Lodge. Like any great single location movie — The Shining comes to mind — it makes you feel trapped and like you yourself are losing your sanity. Keogh's subtly complex performance, one of her best, needs to be credited, as well. However, the movie is in a bit too much of a rush to show you its work and just how “clever” it is. Though, that might be part of the appeal. It's incredibly bleak. So bleak that I don't know if I could watch it again. As it slowly approaches the edge, you need to make the decision whether to hang on or jump off with it. Whether you love or hate it hangs on that decision.