The Lodge (2019) Horror Movie Review

We are 9 days in to our Awful Advent 25 Days of Christmas Horror feature. Today we are taking a look at something a little slower. Something a little more depressing. Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s psychological horror The Lodge from 2019. This is a slow burning horror movie that plays on themes of mental illness, grief, and cults. I am a huge fan of slow burn horror so, naturally, I was excited for this.

It follows the story of a pair of young children who recently lost their mother to suicide. Still not recovered from their grief. Their father places them in the awkward situation of having to spend time alone in a remote, snowed in, lodge with their new step mum. Unfamiliar with the woman and aware of her complicated history of mental illness and abuse at the hands of a religious cult. The children are alarmed when things appear to suddenly not be as they seem.

Okay, so that plot is a little ridiculous. What father would leave his kids with his new wife who the kids don’t know from Eve and has a history of suicidal ideation? But we will let it slide. The Lodge is something of a Saint Maud for the Christmas season. Featuring a solid performance from its lead character. This is not a movie for those who want to have fun. It is depressing and very lacking in the festive spirit. Still, it is set at Christmas so it definitely counts. So let’s get into it.

Slow Burn Psychological Horror

The Lodge is an incredibly slow burning horror movie. To be honest, it doesn’t feel much like a horror movie at all. It is far closer to a thriller in my opinion. Without giving too much away, there are horror elements here and there. For the majority of the movie, however, you are going to be watching an unfolding mystery. It feels, in parts, supernatural and, at other times, grounded in reality. As the end approaches it all becomes clear and the truth is revealed.

The Lodge (2019) Horror Movie Review

The children here are still traumatised by their mother’s death. They have a good relationship with their dad but he is obviously making bad choices. The drama element plays a big part in setting up the story. Grief is something that is frequently found as a theme in horror. The Lodge is no different. The way it plays out here is in the form of a pair of disturbed kids. Unfairly thrust into an awkward situation. They have barely recovered and are not at all ready to move on with their lives. They are, especially, not ready to see their father move on and expect them to simply accept it.

There are some effective scenes here focusing on the children’s grief. Mia, in particular, is completely distraught and appears to be coping poorly. The kids have been raised with a religious influence, something which leads to Mia feeling a lack of closure with her mother’s death. It just so happens that their dad’s new girlfriend also has a history with religion. Only, Grace’s history is one of abuse and cult like obsession. While Grace has tried to distance herself from it, the kids have moved closer to religion. The contrast of comfort and carnage caused by these themes is quite interesting. Indeed, it provides much of the back bone of the story and plays heavily into the ending.

A Complicated Character

Needless to say, this is a movie that wants to get into your head. There is an unsettling feeling of not quite knowing what is going on. Grace is a complicated character with a troubled past. Formerly a member of a cult, she is clearly suffering significant trauma. She takes medication, seemingly, to control symptoms associated with her PTSD. But the years of religious conditioning in the cult have stayed with her. She bears physical and mental scars to show what she has been through. As the movie goes on, it becomes increasingly clear that she hasn’t completely healed from her childhood trauma.

The Lodge (2019) Horror Movie Review

Despite her problems, Grace tries extremely hard with the children. She wants to spend time with them and wants them to like her. Grace has a bunch of exciting things planned for when their dad is away. She has movies lined up, presents for the kids, she wants to decorate the tree and eat pizza. It all sounds like it is going to be a pretty good time. You know, if you hadn’t been through horrible grief and lost your mother that is.

The kids cannot begin to get over their grief and their anger towards their father for divorcing their mother. They want absolutely nothing to do with Grace. In fact, they would sooner research her history on the internet and use that against her. To reinforce their idea that she is unfit to be around them and is, actually, a “psycho”. This plays heavily into what is to come later in the movie. It’s hard not to feel quite sorry for Grace. She didn’t ask to be thrust into this situation.

So Many Plot Holes

There are a mountain of plot holes in this movie. As mentioned above, the set up, itself, is a bit ridiculous and demonstrates some serious lack of foresight on the kid’s father’s part. As the film goes on, things only get more and more silly. It is one unlikely event after another. The fact that we have to immediately suspend disbelief in such a major way is bad enough but, as the movie goes on, the constant leaps of logic become an enormous chore.

Naturally I can’t go into it too much as I will spoil the movie. Suffice to say, you will be asking yourself how character A managed to do this. Why did character B do that? Would character C really react like that? And it suddenly makes less and less sense.

The Lodge (2019) Horror Movie Review

Fans that like this movie tend to criticise people who take umbrage with the ridiculous setup, which is fair enough. They love the film, they can defend it. But some people are simply going to find it hard to vibe with.

The fact that the movie centres around a huge twist somewhere in the middle is something people love about The Lodge. It’s a very obvious twist if you have been following the events, but still fairly satisfying. The influence of similar recent slow burn horror is very apparent here. The desire to pull the rug out from underneath the viewer is clear, which brings me onto my next point.

Dollar Store Ari Aster

There is a real attempt here to channel what made Ari Aster so successful. From the plot twists to the camera work, this feels like Aster lite. The heavy use of scenes focused purely on characters crying will have you feeling a sense of Deja vu. A doll house used to reflect what is happening is less a tribute and more blatant robbery. Scenes designed to shock the viewer with sudden, unexpected, events are extremely familiar. I couldn’t help but think that Hereditary probably wants its tropes back.

There are elements of Franz and Fiala’s earlier hit Goodnight Mommy here, as well. A movie I love. Indeed, the theme itself is similar and the focus on young children is very reminiscent. The liberal sprinkling of Ari Aster styling is unmistakable, however. It makes this feel less like an impressive piece of work and more of a tribute.

The Lodge (2019) Horror Movie Review

Scripting in The Lodge suffers from being somewhat basic and unnatural. Camera work is not fantastic and feels low budget at times. The location, however, is great. The house is suitably huge. It is full of visuals touches to indicate Grace’s declining mental state. The snow covered landscape is perfect for the festive season. On top of that it is also hugely imposing. Ice covered ponds lead to some great scenes. Towards the later part of the film, the cold becomes something of an antagonist for Grace.

Should You Watch The Lodge?

With all of this being said. The Lodge isn’t a bad movie and is definitely worth a watch. I know I have bagged on it a bit but there are just too many things for me to overlook to seriously recommend it. It is, however, a fascinating story for much of its length. It keeps you hooked up until some of the more obvious plot points become apparent. The dynamic between Grace and the children is completely engaging and the fact that she is trying her best has you rooting for her.

Acting is fantastic. Riley Keough, as Grace, puts on a magnificent performance. Completely convincing as a person suffering from mental illness. Both of the kids, played by Jaeden Martell from It and Lia McHugh, are brilliant and Richard Armitage is generally fine as the kid’s dad. It’s an excellent cast. Scares are minimal but the tension and atmosphere is stellar throughout. The twist is obvious but satisfying and the shocking ending will have you begging to know more. A really good, albeit flawed, effort.

By Richie