The Lodge: Horror Film Will Leave You Shocked

Directors Brad Helmink and John Rauschelbach bring together an excellent script and cast for The Lodge that will leave you shocked.

Young couple Michael (Owen Szabo) and Julia (Elizabeth Kell) retreat to a secluded ranch on a mountain top for a relaxing weekend getaway. The couple is greeted by Henry (Kevin McClatchy) the eerie caretaker of the establishment and his daughter Desi (Mandi Kreisher). The night of their arrival sparks strange events that leave Julia paranoid and spooked. Michael is unaffected by the events and shrugs them off to Julia overreacting. The couple quickly finds themselves experiencing spine-chilling events that leave them in peril. With no phone service, a malfunctioning vehicle, and no other method to contact authorities, the couple is left to fight helplessly for their lives.

Michael is a typical spoiled rich kid from Connecticut with a passion for music and wants to start his own band. His father financially supports his career of choice and adventures, but does not encourage the lifestyle. Julia is an overly emotional and insecure college student at Ohio State, home of the Buckeyes. She has financial issues which leads you to question whether she has an ulterior motive for being involved with Michael. Julia takes kickboxing classes to build her self-esteem and keep in shape, which makes you believe she might be able to survive any attacks from the mountain top killer.

The Lodge is fast-paced, spine-chilling, intense, and gripping. The run time of 83 minutes goes by quickly with very few tedious scenes. There were a couple of intense sex scenes that exposed minimal nudity, the soundtrack meshed perfectly with the plot, and the special effects were believable. I found myself on the edge of my seat waiting for the killer's next move. I was pleasantly surprised with the absence of gruesome death scenes which seem to plague the vast majority of today's horror film industry. Don't get me wrong, slasher films are enjoyable too, but it's nice to see a horror film that doesn't focus solely on special effects and relies on a solid storyline to grab the viewer's attention instead.

Owen Szabo, Elizabeth Kell, Kevin McClatchy, and Mandi Kreisher deliver brilliant performances. The actors may be unknown to most viewers, but don't let that fool you of their acting talents. The chemistry between the actors and their character is excellent, as well as the connections with all cast members. I am truly satisfied with the dialogue, script, and acting.

As far as I know The Lodge is currently being played at film festivals only and does not have a confirmed theatrical or DVD release date. I encourage any horror and thriller fan to attend a showing or rent The Lodge where available.

I rate this movie a 5 out of 5. Definitely a must-see horror film!