The real-life Caddo Lake rests on the border of Texas and Louisiana. The waters inspire a sense of mystery, and carry a rich lore that triggers the imagination. And that’s exactly what it did for filmmakers Celine Held and Logan George, who built their new Max thriller Caddo Lake around the natural body of water. They also designed the genre-bending film around its stars, Eliza Scanlen and Dylan O’Brien, whose characters carry generations of family trauma as deep as the lake itself.
I had the chance to speak with Eliza Scanlen, Celine Held, and Logan George about Caddo Lake, which hits Max this week on October 10th. Scanlen is a fast rising star known for her roles in Little Women, The Starling Girl, and Sharp Objects. We spoke about her connection to the film’s producer, M. Night Shyamalan, who she worked with on Old, and what it was like learning about life on the water, zipping around in speedboats, and perfecting her southern accent opposite co-star Dylan O’Brien.
Held and George also have a connection with Shyamalan, having directed episodes of his Apple series, Servant. They talked to me about the photo of Caddo Lake that sparked their idea for this film. The filmmakers praised the Louisiana community that became key to the production, and also talked about the movie’s stylistic novelty which I won’t elaborate on more here. It’s best to find out everything for yourself!
Check out my interviews for Caddo Lake below, and then find my review of the film here!