It Comes At Night (2017)(Minor Spoilers)

 

**This post contains MINOR spoilers**

The Story- During a worldwide pandemic, Paul (Joel Edgerton) lives in a secluded house deep in the woods with his wife, Sarah (Carmen Ejogo), his son, Travis (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), Sarah’s father, Bud (David Pendleton), and the family dog, Stanley. After a tense interrogation, Joel reluctantly allows an intruder named Will (Christopher Abbot) to stay at the house in exchange for supplies, and Sarah believes the family has better chances of survival with more people protecting the house. 

Will brings his family, including his wife, Kim (Riley Keough), and his son, Andrew (Griffin Robert Faulkner). Both families peacefully enjoy living under the same roof. But Paul has doubts about Will’s motives, after Will slips up with a few inconsistencies in the story about his past, and his life with Kim during a late night conversation….

My Thoughts- The story focuses on several characters, but there’s a good amount of spotlight on Travis. You could say It Comes At Night also weirdly works as a coming-of-age film, because Travis is pushed into manhood under unprecedented circumstances. Travis can’t afford to make careless mistakes. Paul sternly reminds Travis that he can’t allow his emotions to get in the way. Will and his family are nice people, but family comes first, and you can’t just blindly trust everyone. 

There’s a big conundrum for Travis’ accelerated path to adulthood that goes beyond learning how to chop firewood and handling a gun. Travis is still a seventeen year old kid, who’s under enormous pressure to adjust and deal with an isolated lifestyle in a post-apocalyptic world. Kim? Travis clearly has feelings for her. He’s a young man, who hasn’t seen another woman in who knows how long, so it’s not a big surprise for Travis to have a wide-eyed reaction to her. 

Paranoia and mistrust are two big themes here. Paul is one jumpy dude, who will kill anyone that threatens the safety of his family, if he has to. Paul wanted to trust Will and his family. They needed the food and the help, and socializing with other people after a seemingly long period of being cooped up and isolated in the woods provides a big sense of relief. But Paul raises his eyebrows, when Will’s stories don’t add up. And the situation takes a sharp turn to the left, after Paul catches Will in a lie.

Did Will know the two men, who ambushed and attacked Paul and Will on the road? Will’s reaction to Paul’s accusations is noticeably awkward. And where did Will get THAT gun from? Yes, there’s a good chance Will fed Paul a bunch of lies and a sob story about a dead brother. At its core, It Comes At Night is a story about two men willing to go to great lengths to protect and provide for their families. It’s all about survival, and resources are scarce in a world, where everyone is trying to either outrun or hide from a deadly disease. 

A handful of It Comes At Night’s unanswered questions accomplished their goals, feeding into the thought-provoking paranoia and trust issues throughout the movie. But there’s two scenes that are real head-scratchers for me. Stanley, clearly anxious and disturbed, starts wildly barking, he bites Paul, and Stanley runs into the woods, chasing after an unseen assailant.

In one of Travis’ nightmare sequences, it’s implied that who, or whatever bothered Stanley was some kind of beast, or an animal that was much bigger and stronger than Stanley. That, or it’s another case of Travis’ heightened paranoia driving him crazy to the point, where he believed something truly horrible must’ve happened to Stanley. 

Stanley returns…but he’s basically on his deathbed. Who or what attacked Stanley? Why did they run away and leave him in the house? Were the perpetrators trying to send a message, or a warning to Paul? Who opened the backdoor? I guess you could say the unanswered questions and the mystery surrounding Stanley’s unfortunate trip into the woods amps up the levels of terror and the growing tensions between Paul and Will. But I don’t see a big problem with sprinkling in a few more clues and  hints to put the pieces of the puzzle together. 

It Comes At Night is a strange one for me. One too many scenes with different characters sitting around and talking, and some of the conversations are kind of boring and dull. But there’s no denying writer/director Trey Edward Shults crafts an eerily quiet and overall tense post-apocalyptic horror film. Mixing psychological horror elements with the story of Travis’ growing pains, tight family bonds, and numerous characters choosing bloodshed or violence over more peaceful resolutions, fueled by paranoia and the desperate need to survive, produces a film with a lot of emotional depth.

It Comes At Night starts off with an emotional gut punch, and the movie ends in a whirlwind of bloody violence and chaos. Happiness and the slight chances of hope during the short-lived union between Paul and Will’s families briefly tips the scales on the positive side, but it all comes crashing down during the big finale, after a series of devastating events. 

A solid overall cast, and the nighttime scenes and Travis’ nightmare sequences are appropriately spooky and tense. There’s also a strong effort to present the disease as something that’s truly terrifying. No known cures, vaccines, or antidotes? It’s an ugly and contagious death sentence that brings out the absolute worst in people. 

Paul and Will’s perspectives are relatable, because if you were in their shoes, you’d understand the mindset behind doing whatever it takes to make it from one day to the next. Yeah, Paul had serious trust issues. MAYBE he should’ve let Will and his family quietly walk away, but when it’s all said and done, one thing’s for sure: Paul made a mistake. Being a good person and following your moral compass for helping others is the right thing to do. But on the other side of that, trusting strangers during a global outbreak opens up the risks for deadly and catastrophic consequences. 

Rating- 7/10

 

It Comes At Night (2017)

 

**This post contains spoilers**

The Story- During a worldwide pandemic, Paul (Joel Edgerton) lives in a secluded house deep in the woods with his wife, Sarah (Carmen Ejogo), his son, Travis (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), Sarah’s father, Bud (David Pendleton), and the family dog, Stanley. After a tense interrogation, Joel reluctantly allows an intruder named Will (Christopher Abbot) to stay at the house in exchange for supplies, and Sarah believes the family has better chances of survival with more people protecting the house. 

Will brings his family, including his wife, Kim (Riley Keough), and his son, Andrew (Griffin Robert Faulkner). Both families peacefully enjoy living under the same roof. But Paul has doubts about Will’s motives, after Will slips up with a few inconsistencies in the story about his past, and his life with Kim during a late night conversation….

My Thoughts- Bud is sick, so It Comes At Night Opens with a mercy killing. A somber and heavy scene, when Paul takes Bud outside in a wheelbarrow, shoots him with a pillow covering his face, and Paul burns his body. Travis standing right next to Paul, as he watches his grandfather’s grisly death adds another strong emotional layer to the scene, because you have to remember Travis is still a teenager, and he shared a close relationship with Bud. You instantly know you’re about to watch a bleak and serious film, so the opening scene really works as a great tone-setter.

The story focuses on several characters, but there’s a good amount of spotlight on Travis. You could say It Comes At Night also weirdly works as a coming-of-age film, because Travis is pushed into manhood under unprecedented circumstances. Travis can’t afford to make careless mistakes. Paul sternly reminds Travis that he can’t allow his emotions to get in the way. Will and his family are nice people, but family comes first, and you can’t just blindly trust everyone. 

There’s a big conundrum for Travis’ accelerated path to adulthood that goes beyond learning how to chop firewood and handling a gun. Travis is still a seventeen year old kid, who’s under enormous pressure to adjust and deal with an isolated lifestyle in a post-apocalyptic world. Kim? Travis clearly has feelings for her. He’s a young man, who hasn’t seen another woman in who knows how long, so it’s not a big surprise for Travis to have a wide-eyed reaction to her. 

Everyone dies! Well, almost. Paul and Sarah murder Will, Kim, and Andrew in the woods, after it’s revealed Andrew is sick. To make matters worse, Travis, Paul, and Sarah are all sick, too. We don’t actually see Travis, Paul, and Sarah’s deaths, but it’s heavily implied they’re done for after Will and his family are executed. It’s an effective and somber image to close out the movie, with Paul and Sarah sitting at the dinner table, sharing stunned and horrified looks of hopelessness in silence, because they know the clock is ticking.

Paranoia and mistrust are two big themes here. Paul is one jumpy dude, who will kill anyone that threatens the safety of his family, if he has to. Paul wanted to trust Will and his family. They needed the food and the help, and socializing with other people after a seemingly long period of being cooped up and isolated in the woods provides a big sense of relief. But Paul raises his eyebrows, when Will’s stories don’t add up. And the situation takes a sharp turn to the left, after Paul catches Will in a lie.

Did Will know the two men, who ambushed and attacked Paul and Will on the road? Will’s reaction to Paul’s accusations is noticeably awkward. And where did Will get THAT gun from? Yes, there’s a good chance Will fed Paul a bunch of lies and a sob story about a dead brother. At its core, It Comes At Night is a story about two men willing to go to great lengths to protect and provide for their families. It’s all about survival, and resources are scarce in a world, where everyone is trying to either outrun or hide from a deadly disease. 

A handful of It Comes At Night’s unanswered questions accomplished their goals, feeding into the thought-provoking paranoia and trust issues throughout the movie. But there’s two scenes that are real head-scratchers for me. Stanley, clearly anxious and disturbed, starts wildly barking, he bites Paul, and Stanley runs into the woods, chasing after an unseen assailant. 

In one of Travis’ nightmare sequences, it’s implied that who, or whatever bothered Stanley was some kind of beast, or an animal that was much bigger and stronger than Stanley. That, or it’s another case of Travis’ heightened paranoia driving him crazy to the point, where he believed something truly horrible must’ve happened to Stanley. 

Stanley returns…but he’s basically on his deathbed. Who or what attacked Stanley? Why did they run away and leave him in the house? Were the perpetrators trying to send a message, or a warning to Paul? Who opened the backdoor? I guess you could say the unanswered questions and the mystery surrounding Stanley’s unfortunate trip into the woods amps up the levels of terror and the growing tensions between Paul and Will. But I don’t see a big problem with sprinkling in a few more clues and  hints to put the pieces of the puzzle together. 

It Comes At Night is a strange one for me. One too many scenes with different characters sitting around and talking, and some of the conversations are kind of boring and dull. But there’s no denying writer/director Trey Edward Shults crafts an eerily quiet and overall tense post-apocalyptic horror film. Mixing psychological horror elements with the story of Travis’ growing pains, tight family bonds, and numerous characters choosing bloodshed or violence over more peaceful resolutions, fueled by paranoia and the desperate need to survive, produces a film with a lot of emotional depth. 

It Comes At Night starts off with an emotional gut punch, and the movie ends in a whirlwind of bloody violence and chaos. Happiness and the slight chances of hope during the short-lived union between Paul and Will’s families briefly tips the scales on the positive side, but it all comes crashing down during the big finale, after a series of devastating events. 

A solid overall cast, and the nighttime scenes and Travis’ nightmare sequences are appropriately spooky and tense. There’s also a strong effort to present the disease as something that’s truly terrifying. No known cures, vaccines, or antidotes? It’s an ugly and contagious death sentence that brings out the absolute worst in people. 

Paul and Will’s perspectives are relatable, because if you were in their shoes, you’d understand the mindset behind doing whatever it takes to make it from one day to the next. Yeah, Paul had serious trust issues. MAYBE he should’ve let Will and his family quietly walk away, but when it’s all said and done, one thing’s for sure: Paul made a mistake. Being a good person and following your moral compass for helping others is the right thing to do. But on the other side of that, trusting strangers during a global outbreak opens up the risks for deadly and catastrophic consequences. 

Rating- 7/10

 

The Lodge (2019)

 **This post contains spoilers**

The Story- Six months after pushing to finalize a divorce from his wife, Laura (Alicia Silverstone), Richard (Richard Armitage) plans a getaway during the Christmas season with his new fiancée, Grace (Riley Keough), his son, Aiden (Jaeden Martell), and his daughter, Mia (Lia McHugh). The trip to the family’s lodge gets off to a rocky start, and things take a bizarre turn for the worst as time passes.

Grace is forced to deal with her troubled past and a series of strange occurrences, while juggling the responsibilities for taking care of a disgruntled Aiden and Mia. Richard is the only person, who can ease the tensions between Grace, Aiden, and Mia, but there’s also a chance the group is experiencing an unprecedented disturbance…..

My Thoughts- Is Grace a bad person? Well, of course not. The problem is, she’s stuck in an impossible situation trying to earn acceptance and trust from two kids, who clearly hate her. Riley Keough delivers a strong and sympathetic performance, full of emotion and anger, when the situation calls for it. 

Early on in the movie, you can clearly see Grace is TRYING to do everything she can do to carefully ease her way into Aiden and Mia’s lives. Grace is sincerely apologetic, when she unknowingly puts on Laura’s beanie. But on the other side of that, you can understand Grace’s need to stand up for herself, to be an authority figure, because she has to show Aiden and Mia that she’s not a pushover.

It’s hard to not feel any sympathy for Grace, when the story takes a dark turn towards the end. The flashbacks from Grace’s past in the cult, with her father as the leader tells the story of a woman, who truly suffered through hell. To say she didn’t have a normal childhood would be an understatement. Richard, Aiden, and Mia? They were all supposed to be her second chance at happiness and a normal life. More kudos to Riley Keough, because she really drives home the idea of this kind woman, who didn’t deserve what happened to her at the lodge.

Aiden and Mia? You also have to understand, where they’re coming from. Two kids, who deeply love their mother, so when they look at Grace, all they’re going to see is a soulless home-wrecker, who destroyed their family. You could say Aiden is the stronger one in the duo, while Mia, the younger sibling, clings to her toy doll that resembles Laura. 

Jaeden Martell hits all the right notes, as the angsty and stubborn teenager, who flat out refuses to give Grace a fair chance. Lia McHugh does a good job, as the young daughter, who’s still a vulnerable kid at heart, following her older brother’s lead for guidance and a shoulder to lean on. The dynamic between Aiden and Mia is one of the bigger highlights in the movie. They share a tight big brother/little sister bond. They’re a team, and they rely on each other, for good and bad reasons.

The Lodge cleverly fits the pieces of the puzzle for the family drama together, because you can clearly see and understand everyone’s point of view here. Grace wanting to earn her way into a family. Richard trying his best to please Aiden, Grace, and Mia, while he tries to embrace his own happiness with Grace. Aiden and Mia rebelling against Grace replacing their mother, and a heartbroken Laura, who’s not ready to move on with her life.

It’s a prank! An elaborate and cruel prank, but still a prank. Hiding the food, the dead phones, hiding Grace’s medication. Everything was a carefully planned out and detailed setup to drive Grace crazy. Well, it worked. Grace snapped, but it’s obvious Aiden and Mia didn’t expect a few big setbacks.

The Lodge’s finale is genuinely jaw-dropping. The tables turn so quickly, escalating to one violent and gruesome event after another, starting with the sight of Grace’s dog, frozen to death with his tongue still sticking out. Aiden and Mia weren’t as smart as they thought they were. Assuming Aiden was the mastermind, all the careful planning wasn’t enough to overcome the fact that two kids were in way over their heads. Triggering Grace’s past traumas was too much to overcome. 

The final scene, where everyone’s around the table, including Richard’s corpse is truly an eerie and disturbing sight. Covered mouths with duct tape and “sin” written across them for a callback to Grace’s life in her father’s cult, and Aiden and Mia are visibly terrified, while Mia plans to kill them and herself. In the end, Grace’s demons won the battle, and the two demons in the lodge got the best of her.

The final shot of the loaded gun raises so many questions. Did Aiden and Mia manage to run away? Did Grace finish everyone off? Or, was there a struggle between Grace, Mia, and Aiden before she had a chance to do anything? Good call to abruptly end the movie in that spot. A scene that leaves you with a sinking feeling, because no matter how you spin it, there’s no outcome that provides a truly happy ending. 

The Lodge also works as an unconventional Christmas horror film. If we’re making comparisons, it’s not as Christmassy as the Silent Night, Deadly Night films, the Black Christmas remake, or Krampus (2015). The Lodge has a far more serious tone compared to those films. 

Still, it’s set during the Christmas season. Before the story takes a deep dive into the dark side, the lodge is decorated for Christmas, and you’ll see Christmas presents. It’s not festive, and there’s no real cheeriness before the chaos starts. The Lodge slowly injects a crippling poison into of the bigger holidays with bitterness, tension, loss, and family drama. A deep sadness hits at a certain point, because maybe there’s a chance a good and happy Christmas celebration could’ve healed any open wounds. 

Religion plays a big part in the story here. Grace never had a chance. She was corrupted at an early age by her father, Aaron (Danny Keough), a fanatical cult leader. For Grace, religion is the boogeyman that just won’t go away, a leech sucking her soul dry. Brainwashing, and towards the end, religion is used as a guilt tripping mechanism and a scare tactic on both sides. 

The found-footage from Grace’s life in the cult and the mass suicides are a prime example for how religion can be turned into something evil, or used as a deadly weapon in the wrong hands. But there’s also a somber side for religion in The Lodge. A distraught Mia can’t handle the thought of her mother not making it to heaven, because she committed suicide. The Lodge goes with the thought of a loved one not being able to experience eternal peace and happiness as a crippling blow, that’s tough to recover from.

Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s work behind the camera is admirable. So many little nuances and subtle storytelling with the shots of the black balloons floating into the sky, Richard touching Grace’s leg and Aiden’s reaction to it. Grace smiling at Mia in the mirror, and of course Mia doesn’t reciprocate the kind gesture. Going back to religion, crosses are not a sign of comfort or reassurances here. Crosses appear in one form or another throughout the movie. When you see a cross, something bad just happened, something bad is about to happen, or they appear during a stretch of hopelessness.

I absolutely loved the zoomed out shots, primarily during certain scenes in the lodge. A calming family retreat? No, the zoomed out shots gives the impression that this ordinary lodge is a spooky and creepy place.

And I can’t forget about Grace, Aiden, and Mia watching John Carpenter’s The Thing! The Thing (1982) is a great choice for a cabin fever movie. Of course, you won’t see any aliens in The Lodge, but a group of people stuck out in the middle of nowhere during a snowstorm, fighting to survive a dangerous threat with limited resources and no means of transportation? You can easily connect the dots between both movies. It’s right there. As far as timing and placement goes, you could say that particular scene from The Thing mirrors and lines up with The Lodge right before things really start going downhill. 

A lot of layers for The Lodge. Suffering through mental illnesses is a big one, if we’re focusing on Grace and Laura. For different reasons, Grace and Laura struggled to hold it together. Two tragic characters connected to each other, starting new lives, with bleak futures, concluding in disastrous results. It’s so bad to the point, where everyone would’ve been better off not crossing paths.    

The shots of the little house diorama throughout the movie works as an unusual and creepy style of foreshadowing. It’s a morbid and detailed replica of the lodge, and there’s a dark irony behind it, when you realize the diorama is also a child’s fancy toy. 

Winter, snow, and freezing temperatures. The Lodge is a cold film in more ways than one. Starting the movie off with Laura committing suicide sets an ominous tone. Alicia Silverstone was fantastic. The way she sits down, calmly pours herself a glass of wine, and removes her jewelry, only to shoot herself seconds later was truly shocking. Laura was depressed, but to do that so quickly was a real gut-wrenching moment, because I honestly didn’t see it coming.

The isolated setting is perfect. The quiet lodge, deep in the woods, during a snowstorm and miles away from civilization adds to the dread and impending sense of doom throughout the movie. It’s a slow, slow burn build to the finale, and for me, it occasionally drags, but The Lodge is still a truly outstanding film. The Lodge plays like a psychological drama, featuring some well-placed horror elements. The nighttime scenes at the lodge, and Grace’s nightmare sequences balances things out on the horror side. And Top notch directing, because there’s no denying The Lodge is a beautifully shot film.

A terrific cast all around. Alicia Silverstone makes the most of her short screen time. Riley Keough is simply phenomenal in the leading role, a powerhouse performance that excels during Grace’s descent into madness, when you finally realize she’s just too far gone. The ending is a nail-biter, but it’s not your typical nail-biter. The Lodge’s ending leaves a few nerve-racking questions. Risky chances (Aiden and Mia possibly rushing and fighting Grace), no positive options, and IF anyone survived, no one has a chance of living a normal life after two big tragedies happening so close together.

Rating- 9/10

The Lodge (2019)(Minor Spoilers)

 

**This post contains MINOR spoilers**

The Story- Six months after pushing to finalize a divorce from his wife, Laura (Alicia Silverstone), Richard (Richard Armitage) plans a getaway during the Christmas season with his new fiancée, Grace (Riley Keough), his son, Aiden (Jaeden Martell), and his daughter, Mia (Lia McHugh). The trip to the family’s lodge gets off to a rocky start, and things take a bizarre turn for the worst as time passes.

Grace is forced to deal with her troubled past and a series of strange occurrences, while juggling the responsibilities for taking care of a disgruntled Aiden and Mia. Richard is the only person, who can ease the tensions between Grace, Aiden, and Mia, but there’s also a chance the group is experiencing an unprecedented disturbance…..

My Thoughts- Is Grace a bad person? Well, of course not. The problem is, she’s stuck in an impossible situation trying to earn acceptance and trust from two kids, who clearly hate her. Riley Keough delivers a strong and sympathetic performance, full of emotion and anger, when the situation calls for it. 

Early on in the movie, you can clearly see Grace is TRYING to do everything she can do to carefully ease her way into Aiden and Mia’s lives. Grace is sincerely apologetic, when she unknowingly puts on Laura’s beanie. But on the other side of that, you can understand Grace’s need to stand up for herself, to be an authority figure, because she has to show Aiden and Mia that she’s not a pushover.

It’s hard to not feel any sympathy for Grace, when the story takes a dark turn towards the end. The flashbacks from Grace’s past in the cult, with her father as the leader tells the story of a woman, who truly suffered through hell. To say she didn’t have a normal childhood would be an understatement. Richard, Aiden, and Mia? They were all supposed to be her second chance at happiness and a normal life. More kudos to Riley Keough, because she really drives home the idea of this kind woman, who didn’t deserve what happened to her at the lodge.

Aiden and Mia? You also have to understand, where they’re coming from. Two kids, who deeply love their mother, so when they look at Grace, all they’re going to see is a soulless home-wrecker, who destroyed their family. You could say Aiden is the stronger one in the duo, while Mia, the younger sibling, clings to her toy doll that resembles Laura. 

Jaeden Martell hits all the right notes, as the angsty and stubborn teenager, who flat out refuses to give Grace a fair chance. Lia McHugh does a good job, as the young daughter, who’s still a vulnerable kid at heart, following her older brother’s lead for guidance and a shoulder to lean on. The dynamic between Aiden and Mia is one of the bigger highlights in the movie. They share a tight big brother/little sister bond. They’re a team, and they rely on each other, for good and bad reasons.

The Lodge cleverly fits the pieces of the puzzle for the family drama together, because you can clearly see and understand everyone’s point of view here. Grace wanting to earn her way into a family. Richard trying his best to please Aiden, Grace, and Mia, while he tries to embrace his own happiness with Grace. Aiden and Mia rebelling against Grace replacing their mother, and a heartbroken Laura, who’s not ready to move on with her life.

The Lodge also works as an unconventional Christmas horror film. If we’re making comparisons, it’s not as Christmassy as the Silent Night, Deadly Night films, the Black Christmas remake, or Krampus (2015). The Lodge has a far more serious tone compared to those films. 

Still, it’s set during the Christmas season. Before the story takes a deep dive into the dark side, the lodge is decorated for Christmas, and you’ll see Christmas presents. It’s not festive, and there’s no real cheeriness before the chaos starts. The Lodge slowly injects a crippling poison into of the bigger holidays with bitterness, tension, loss, and family drama. A deep sadness hits at a certain point, because maybe there’s a chance a good and happy Christmas celebration could’ve healed any open wounds. 

Religion plays a big part in the story here. Grace never had a chance. She was corrupted at an early age by her father, Aaron (Danny Keough), a fanatical cult leader. For Grace, religion is the boogeyman that just won’t go away, a leech sucking her soul dry. Brainwashing, and towards the end, religion is used as a guilt tripping mechanism and a scare tactic on both sides. Also, the found-footage from Grace’s life in the cult and the mass suicides are a prime example for how religion can be turned into something evil, or used as a deadly weapon in the wrong hands.

Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s work behind the camera is admirable. So many little nuances and subtle storytelling with the shots of the black balloons floating into the sky, Richard touching Grace’s leg and Aiden’s reaction to it. Grace smiling at Mia in the mirror, and of course Mia doesn’t reciprocate the kind gesture. Going back to religion, crosses are not a sign of comfort or reassurances here. Crosses appear in one form or another throughout the movie. When you see a cross, something bad just happened, something bad is about to happen, or they appear during a stretch of hopelessness.

I absolutely loved the zoomed out shots, primarily during certain scenes in the lodge. A calming family retreat? No, the zoomed out shots gives the impression that this ordinary lodge is a spooky and creepy place.

And I can’t forget about Grace, Aiden, and Mia watching John Carpenter’s The Thing! The Thing (1982) is a great choice for a cabin fever movie. Of course, you won’t see any aliens in The Lodge, but a group of people stuck out in the middle of nowhere during a snowstorm, fighting to survive a dangerous threat with limited resources and no means of transportation? You can easily connect the dots between both movies. It’s right there. As far as timing and placement goes, you could say that particular scene from The Thing mirrors and lines up with The Lodge right before things really start going downhill. 

A lot of layers for The Lodge. Suffering through mental illnesses is a big one, if we’re focusing on Grace and Laura. For different reasons, Grace and Laura struggled to hold it together. Two tragic characters connected to each other, starting new lives, with bleak futures, concluding in disastrous results. It’s so bad to the point, where everyone would’ve been better off not crossing paths. 

The shots of the little house diorama throughout the movie works as an unusual and creepy style of foreshadowing. It’s a morbid and detailed replica of the lodge, and there’s a dark irony behind it, when you realize the diorama is also a child’s fancy toy. 

Winter, snow, and freezing temperatures. The Lodge is a cold film in more ways than one. The isolated setting is perfect. The quiet lodge, deep in the woods, during a snowstorm and miles away from civilization adds to the dread and impending sense of doom throughout the movie. It’s a slow, slow burn build to the finale, and for me, it occasionally drags, but The Lodge is still a truly outstanding film. The Lodge plays like a psychological drama, featuring some well-placed horror elements. The nighttime scenes at the lodge, and Grace’s nightmare sequences balances things out on the horror side. And Top notch directing, because there’s no denying The Lodge is a beautifully shot film.

A terrific cast all around. Alicia Silverstone makes the most of her short screen time. Riley Keough is simply phenomenal in the leading role, a powerhouse performance that excels during Grace’s descent into madness, when you finally realize she’s just too far gone. The ending is a nail-biter, but it’s not your typical nail-biter. The Lodge’s ending leaves a few nerve-racking questions. Risky chances, no positive options, and IF anyone survived, no one has a chance of living a normal life after two big tragedies happening so close together.

Rating- 9/10