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While every horror era has its fair share of films with a dread-based backdrop, others like The Lodge stand out as the ones that take things to a whole new level. The Christmas horror feature, starring Jaeden Martell (It) and Riley Keough (Mad Max: Fury Road), is one of the bleakest and most disturbing films made in the 21st century. It is not for the faint of heart, but we can’t think of a better pick for the current snowy season, especially since it is available to stream for free on Tubi.
Directed by the Austrian duo Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala (2014’s Goodnight Mommy, The Devil’s Bath), The Lodge is a slow-burn “cabin in the woods” story that doesn’t exactly follow the rules of this commonly used horror subgenre. There are the usual scares, of course, but this critically acclaimed film is not your average horror film.
It is a deeply unsettling journey through a broken mind that will have viewers yearning for the usual nightmarish quality of supernatural horror. Instead, what lurks in the dark in this godforsaken lodge in the middle of nowhere is the ultimate representation of psychological fragility: one broken mind that truly believes in a chilling interpretation of salvation, and how far one can go to achieve it.
Is There Anything More Sinister Than the Human Soul?
The Lodge begins with a horrific tragedy. Laura (Alicia Silverstone) ends her life after learning that her former husband, Richard (Richard Armitage), is planning to marry someone younger. Aiden (Martell) and Mia (Lia McHugh) are now in the care of their father, and Grace (Keough) becomes their new stepmother. Needless to say, amidst the grief, the children are not happy with their father’s decision.
Richard decides the Christmas season will be the perfect time for his children to bond with Grace. He plans a trip so the four of them can spend the holidays at a remote lodge, but he’s forced to return to the city for work. The young Grace is left alone with the kids, who have investigated their stepmother’s rocky past as the survivor of a religious cult.
At the lodge, strange things begin happening. The dog goes missing, and the Christmas decorations vanish. The generator malfunctions, and the group is unable to contact anyone amid a violent blizzard. The children begin having disturbing nightmares, and eventually, Grace and the kids become convinced that they could have died and are now in the afterlife. However, nothing is what it seems in the lodge.
‘The Lodge’s Ending Will Leave You in Pieces
Not only is The Lodge a near-perfect exercise in nerve-wracking dread, but the plot flows into a third act that radically changes the rules of its subgenre and represents a major twist to the original story. We won’t spoil what happens, but those expecting to see the supernatural plotline fulfilled are in for a nice surprise that may make them lose their sleep.
To make the children and Grace part of a typical “they are dead” trope would have been the easier story direction. However, Franz and Fiala, along with co-writer Sergio Casci, draw their last surprise card and deliver a dismal conclusion that will make you question everything that’s good in the world. It is a devastating gut-punch that fully changes the story and explicitly reveals the dark effects of emotional and psychological abuse. You will never forget the final shot.
