MOVIE RECOMMENDATION - The Lodge

This movie caught my attention back in 2019 due to the fact that I had already seen its directors debut film “Goodnight Mommy” in 2014, and I had found that one fascinating and disturbing at the same time, with a very effective plot twist at the ending, so I knew “The Lodge” would probably have a similar effect on me and it really did not disappoint.

Just like it occurs with “Goodnight Mommy” and even though you get a clear understanding of what is happening at the first watch, it is still interesting to rewatch the movie in order to appreciate better missed details about the plot twist. The directors know how to manipulate the spectator as if it was another character of the story and they manage to do it with style and make it quite believable, although some rather questionable character decisions, which turn out to be the whole pretext for the movie, end up being a little odd. Still, most of the characters are well-constructed and so is the story itself, which is probably the most interesting aspect of the movie: the script.

There are deep powerful and transcendental themes treated in this script, such as mental health and religion. They’re both intertwined along the story through the characters and their individual struggles, like a cocktail ready to blow up. The imagery and symbols used are simple but effective as well, proving that you don’t need an excess of elements to tell a good story if you know how to use them. The horror here lies inside the mind and the human behavior patterns that drag us inevitably to our decay and leave us not in control.

All in all, a remarkable combination of drama and horror that gives this movie its well-deserved elevated horror label similarly to movies like The Witch, Hereditary or Saint Maud. I’m really looking forward to watching their new movie, The Devil’s Bath.