The Lodge

I watched this movie due to the fact I had many on social media talking about how this is the scariest thing they have seen recently. It stars Jaeden Martell and Lia McHugh as two children who’s parents are separated and something happens to the mother, I’m gonna try not to go too far into spoiler territory as it is still relatively new and being discovered, their father is ready to get remarried to Riley Keough who is actually a survivor of a mass suicide in the vein of the real life Heaven’s Gate mass suicide. Well Riley feels it be good for the kids to spend sometime with her just before Christmas, where better to bond than a secluded mountain cabin aka lodge, to me it wasn’t big enough to be a lodge, whatever. Of course their father still has to work in the city leaving the three of them in a lodge in the middle of snow and ice season. Well strange things begin to happen, material possessions disappear, power goes out and medication goes missing for Riley’s character. Won’t spoil it, the movie leads you where this could go a couple different ways and makes a decent choice with good moral implications then in the end just goes off the rails, I get where they, the directors, were coming from doing it, I just think it could have used some finessing and clean up to the concept. The biggest problem with this movie is the pacing, nothing happens for a good hour and there’s some moments where the bond and tension could be developed between the kids like Jaeden and Riley after a shower, but, more time rather be spent with her wandering in the snow. For me this is right behind The Turning in the run for worst horror/thriller of the year, this is definitely more on the thriller side and unless you get scared of the long takes of a character with music building waiting for a jump scare that does not come, then most won’t be affected by this. As I mentioned the I don’t know if you could call it a twist with what actually happens is interesting concept that I feel could make for some interesting projects. Overall, I was bored most of this and unless your home alone wanting a little fright without the actual scares or any gore than this might push you to keep a light on while you wait for your other to get home or fall asleep after. D.