The Lodge

The 2019 movie The Lodge, directed by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, is a chilling psychological horror film. It showcases powerful performances from its cast, including Riley Keough, Jaeden Martell, and Lia McHugh. This film amplifies suspense through its unique narrative angle, and the constant unease and tension it builds gradually carries the audience through a journey replete with uncertainty, shock, and fear.

Riley Keough steps into the central role of Grace, a young woman balancing her traumatic past and a semblance of a new family life. Keough delivers a standout performance creating a character who is as complex as she is compelling. Grace's past is intertwined with a religious death cult that ended in mass suicide, an incident where she managed to survive. Scarred by this horrific event, Grace is seen grappling - trying to leave her past behind while moving ahead.

The storyline aims to capture the family drama and haunted past in a sinister setting. Richard, played by Richard Armitage, is the father to teenage son Aidan (Jaeden Martell) and younger daughter Mia (Lia McHugh). Richard plans to marry his girlfriend, Grace, much to the displeasure of his children. Martell and McHugh effectively portray the disbelief and unhappiness of their characters.

Following a tragic event, the three of them - Grace, Aiden, and Mia - find themselves spending Christmas in a remote winter cabin. The eponymous lodge is ice-bound and isolated, providing a fittingly eerie setting that becomes its characters' psychological and physical trapping. The stark contrast between the serene snowscape and the disquiet within the lodge masterfully exemplifies the film's thrill component.

The directors of the film, Franz and Fiala, brilliantly blend a strong sense of claustrophobia with a creepy ambience in the narrative's structure. The isolation of the setting underlines the substances of dread and tension emanating from every frame. The children’s unwelcome demeanor towards Grace adds to her feelings of uneasiness and tension, which keep escalating as the narrative unfolds. Even as she tries to bond with the kids and make the best of a difficult situation, bizarre occurrences start to stir up, further unearthing Grace's traumatizing past.

The Lodge strikes a good balance between the protagonists' realities versus their nightmare-like experiences, with the viewer often left uncertain of the two sides. The film harbors an exploration of faith, trauma, guilt, and mental health, making it more than just a horror film.

The cinematography also contributes significantly to the film’s overall impact. There is a splendid utilisation of long shots and closed-spaces shots throughout, amplifying the movie's on-edge feeling. The low-lit scenes, the minimalist aesthetic, and the chilly winter environment effortlessly aid in building the film's haunting aura. The filmmakers also smartly employ sound design and silence to evoke panic and dread within the viewers.

The Lodge is not your typical jump-scare horror; it's a film about psychological deterioration, desperate survival, and literal chills. Its storytelling method might not cater to the mainstream horror genre lovers but would indeed appeal to those who want to witness a deep and meaningful narrative within the framework of a horror-thriller. It is one of those movies that leaves the audience with contemplative thoughts, getting under their skin and staying there long after the movie has ended.

All in all, The Lodge is a horror spectacle - carrying an atmospheric dread coupled with the exploration of human discomfort and a clash of realities. It's a film where the horror stems not only from the paranormal but also from within the characters. Despite its chilly temperature and the bleak, frosty setting, The Lodge manages to provide a nerve-racking thrill that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.