This hasn’t been the strongest of years for horror so far (even Us was a mild disappointment, good as it was), but then we haven’t seen the best of Sundance hit theaters yet. The festival has become a breeding ground for the most acclaimed genre films (The Witch, Hereditary) and added to the list is The Lodge, a psychological horror from Goodnight Mommy directors Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz.
Similar to Goodnight Mommy, which followed twin boys who question whether the bandaged-up woman in their home is really their mother, The Lodge centers on the fragile dynamic between siblings and a matriarch. Riley Keough stars as Grace, the future stepmom to Aidan and Mia, who are trapped together in a winter cabin while the father is away on business. As the blizzard rages on, resentment grows, specters from Grace’s past re-emerge, and unseen forces of evil must be confronted.
The Lodge also stars Alicia Silverstone and Richard Armitage, a strong supporting cast that may explain Neon’s decision to release the film this fall. Clearly, they say this as a dark horse awards contender, and considering the accolades showered on Goodnight Mommy they could be right.
