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Scary and un-nerving, The Lodge disturbs and rattles the audience and becomes a horror story put on film like no other.
The Lodge ,directed by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, of 'Goodnight Mommy' fame is a movie which traces the story of a family which decides to take a break at a remote lodge and an unforeseen circumstances start to take place.
The screenplay, penned down by Casci & Fiala, is extremely well paced with some terrifying moments that would shake even the strongest of horror aficionados. Taking its time to breathe and flesh out each character, is something that the film does beautifully, which ups the ante even further. The film explores elements of cabin fever and PTSD very carefully, yet pushing the adverse effects of said symptoms to realistic extremes.Calling this a horror film would actually really limit the staggering acheivement of the film it is, because it balances the drama elements with the horror masterfully.
The cinematography of the film by Bakatakis, varies from Fargo-esque wide shots capturing the loneliness and isolation of the situation to close-ups which induce a sense of immense claustrophobia throughout the film. The film is cleverly edited using techniques of show-not-tell, similarly to Ari Aster's Hereditary. Combined with a terrific score and sound design, using ambiguous sound effects in an almost silent landscape, makes the film, a true technical marvel. The acting is top notch as well, with Riley Keough and Jaeden Martell, delivering career best performances.
Films like The Lodge are true gems to the genre of horror filmmaking. I do not remember being this terrified of a film since Jennifer Kent's The Babadook. A cult-classic in the making, The Lodge is a true work of genius in the genre of the arthouse horror.
Rohitendra Chatterjee
BBA-3.
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