Grace goes on a holiday trip with her fiancé and soon-to-be step-children. Her relationship with the kids gets off to a rocky start. Things only become more awkward when her fiancé has to return to the city for a couple days. Then, when things finally start looking up, frightening events unravel in this wintery hell.

Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, of Goodnight Mommy fame, bring their latest slow-burn of a film. The Lodge is co-directed and co-written by the duo, along with Sergio Casci (The Caller) also co-writing the screenplay. The film begins by introducing the father, his ex, and their two children. The audience gets to learn their family dynamic as well as how each family member feels about Grace long before her character is introduced. It isn’t until the father and children take their holiday trip to their winter getaway that Grace comes into the picture. This is an interesting tactic that allows us to gain all of our knowledge about Grace from unreliable second-hand sources who are openly hostile towards Grace. Suspense slowly builds from the tense relationship between Grace and the kids to outright terror as the trio is left stranded without food or heat in a winter storm. Franz, Fiala, and Sergio do a great job of crafting terror around the unknown. So many questions come up about what’s really happening as events unfold, leading to a truly haunting climax.

To say that The Lodge is bleak would be an understatement. The filmmakers are not afraid to deliver a film that’s as harsh and cold as the landscape. Between that and the slow pace of the plot, there are likely horror fans who won’t enjoy this film as much as others. I believe the pace was pitch-perfect for the story being told. Each layer of mystery is given time to be unraveled from the supernatural, to the religious, to the more earthly dangers. The one thing that doesn’t work as well for me is how the filmmakers telegraph the truth behind what’s happening a bit too clearly. This was also my biggest issue with the filmmakers’ previous film, Goodnight Mommy, although they did manage to be a bit more subtle with The Lodge. While the big twist might not be as much of a surprise as intended, it doesn’t change how impactful the final moments of the film are.

For a smaller indie horror film, The Lodge truly has a fantastic cast of easily recognizable faces. Riley Keough (It Comes At Night, Mad Max: Fury Road) stars as Grace. At first Grace comes across as cold and emotionless. After learning she is on medications for her childhood trauma, her personality makes more sense. Keough really brings the character to life once Grace is forced to go off her meds and her sanity gradually falls to pieces. Jaeden Martell (IT, Knives Out) plays Aidan, the angry son and protective older brother. Martell does a wonderful job of injecting his performance with an underlying sinister tone, even when he’s being kind to Grace. The only time Aidan feels genuine is when he’s interacting with his younger sister, and Martell makes those moments stand out. Lia McHugh (They Come Knocking, Along Came the Devil) plays young Mia. McHugh’s performance overall is great, but she really shines when she conveys Mia’s emotional devastation. It’s truly heartbreaking and on par with Florence Pugh’s performance in Midsommar. It’s also important to give shout outs to Richard Armitage (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Into the Storm) as loving father Richard and Alicia Silverstone (Clueless, The Crush) as the jilted ex-wife, Laura.

To create this austere tale, The Lodge employs a combination of chilling sights and sounds. Of course the beautiful cinematography and harsh setting are a large part of the film’s appeal, but there is more than that. One thing viewers are sure to notice is the dollhouse. Mia has an exact dollhouse replica of the vacation house, complete with a doll for each family member. The filmmakers often use shots of the dollhouse as a means to add a distinct eeriness to what is happening in the real house. There is also quite a bit of religious iconography used throughout the film. These images are not only unsettling, but they offer a connection between Grace’s past and present in a way that is both striking and disturbing. Rounding each scene out is the musical score by Danny Bensi (N0S4A2, The Outsider) and Saunder Jurriaans (N0S4A2, The Outsider). The combination of dissonant booms, stirring strings, and light trilling like snow falling lends itself to this grim tale.

The Lodge is a sombre psychological thriller that leaves the viewers feeling as desolate as the landscape. The filmmakers clearly know how to fashion a suspenseful plot that forces you to wonder what is real and what isn’t. That being said, there are some clues that make the final revelation a bit too obvious. Luckily, the final moments of the film still bring shock and awe. The performances from the star-studded cast and stunning artistry of the film add to the emotional devastation that ensues. The Lodge is sure to be a new favorite feel-bad film horror fans watch for the holidays.

OVERALL RATING: 7.5/10