Prime Video has just added The Lodge to its lineup — a chilling psychological thriller that stands among the most terrifying films in recent years.
Riley Keough (Daisy Jones & the Six) delivers a gripping performance as Grace, a woman haunted by a deeply troubled past.
When she becomes engaged to Richard (Richard Armitage), Grace joins him and his two children (Jaeden Martell and Lia McHugh) for a Christmas stay at their remote winter lodge. What begins as a tense family gathering quickly spirals into something far more disturbing.
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Soon into the trip, however, Richard is called back to the city for work, leaving Grace stuck with the pair of kids who are resentful of their stepmother-to-be and treat her with hostility.
As tensions grow between the trio and a series of strange incidents lead them to become stranded together, Grace’s sanity starts to unravel.
The Lodge was directed by filmmaking duo Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, who were also behind the supremely creepy cult horror favourite Goodnight Mommy.
Indeed, the two films have a lot in common, depicting how growing distrust between adults and children in a claustrophobic setting boils over into the stuff of nightmares.
Despite strong reviews from critics following its premiere at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival, the 2019 movie did not receive a cinema release in the UK and Ireland.
This is a real shame as The Lodge’s dark and twisty story, chilling wintry atmosphere and tremendous lead turn from Keough, who manages to be both sympathetic and scary in equal measure, deserve to be seen by a wider audience.
Here is a sample of the positive reviews the movie received from critics:
Arizona Republic: “The Lodge is an exceptionally creepy horror film – and a really disturbing one.”
Chicago Sun-Times: “Keough’s work is so strong, so effective, that by the time we learn the ultimate fate of Grace, we would have bought into any of the possible options.”
The Guardian: “A film that manages to burrow its way under your skin and stay there right through to the horrifying end.”
Los Angeles Times: “The key to [Keough’s] insidious and frightening performance is that by the end, you’re not sure whether to fear her or fear for her.
RogerEbert.com: “A truly unsettling movie, the kind of horror film that rattles you on an almost subconscious level.”
SlashFilm: “An icy cold mix of The Shining and religious mania run wild, The Lodge opens with a bang, and never lets up… Scary as hell.”
How to watch The Lodge
The Lodge is streaming in the UK and Ireland on Prime Video.