Horror Film (2020) Review #3

The Lodge, the first English speaking film from Austria's writing/director duo Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz. Their last film Goodnight Mommy was a well received horror caricature, following twin boys acceptance of a mother whose been away for 5 months. Now bandaged up from reconstructive surgery and not act like the mother they once knew. It's particular third act ramps up and takes it on the chin for being eerily compared to funny games, as it unravels the psychological nature of one of the boys.
The Premise of  'The lodge' is an organic evolution from Goodnight mother, where it follows the relationship of a very close brother and sister spending the holidays with their soon to be step-mother following a recent tragedy. It's hard not to compare the film to the successful breakout horror movie Hereditary as it shares a key element, but uses that device in a completely different manner. In the trailer, the father drops off his new family-to-be to spend the holidays together for about a week, where he will rejoin them on Christmas day.  Forces seem to be working against them as they are robbed of food and heat, with the step-mother trekking out into a stormy winter to find help.

Lia McHugh (Mia) and Jaeden Martell (Aidan)

The film's ability to stay lingering on a shot and use of score (background music) to emote tension in a scene is relied on too heavily, its not long after they are left alone in the lodge do see where the film is going. The filmmakers left a lot of breadcrumbs to set up the circumstances without requiring any verbal exposition, It's theme of purgatory is suggested throughout from daughter crying in bed with her father, a balloon tied to a doll, and mirror reading repent. The satisfying pay off is in the final minutes of this movie, where you as an audience member could be grinning widely eating popcorn like in Michael Jackson's thriller opening as Michael is watching a horror movie intensely, or you could be a gasp of what will happen to the all characters.  The movie is filled with misdirection and  gas-lighting  and is positioned to be much more of a psychological thriller filled with dread, than a horror. As a main character is dealing with mental health from a post traumatic event is explored. Actress Riley Keough when approached by the directors was told  not to prepare for the role, but to play the character of Grace really with a blank slate and then go from there, the plan worked as she gives a solid performance and nothing she does leads into or shapes an audience interpretation of what is to follow; you are constantly in the moment as she goes through all her experiences. The filmmakers shot the movie in sequence which is rare, but beneficial to its actors  so they can really tune into the dark journey of each their characters as they reach the epic conclusion. The movie is refreshing in the sense that it does not go for jump scares, but tries to see things through the eyes of its characters through the directions they take of veering left or right, but be prepared for a very slow burn.