#sergiocasci

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Lodge (2019)

Look past the properly-set-up-but-still-improbable development The Lodge features 2/3 of the way through. Focus instead on the atmosphere, the dread permeating throughout, and the scenes you only see peeking through your fingers.

Still reeling from their mother’s death and upset over their father’s choice to remarry, Aidan (Jaeden Martell) and Mia (Lia McHugh) are left alone with their soon-to-be stepmother Grace (Riley Keough) over the Christmas holidays. Their father, Richard (Richard Armitage), hopes quality time in the rural cabin while he finishes some last-minute business will do them all some good. After a snowstorm, unexplainable events seemingly tied to Grace’s past put their lives at risk.

This is a moody, eerie film. Right away, it plays with your psyche. Grace met Richard while he was researching the extremist Christian cult who raised her. Images that in another story would signify salvation invoke fear. A crucifix on the wall makes the voice of her long-dead father (Danny Keough) echo through Grace's head. Every time we see the portrait of Mary in the kitchen, the cracks in the varnish grow more pronounced. A loving mother becomes a ghoul. When Mia prays for her dead mother or blesses a meal, it’s a reminder of a death narrowly escaped. At every turn, all you can think of is the grainy footage captured when the 12-year-old was discovered among the bodies of her former congregation years ago. A sudden blare of organ music startles you not because it’s a loud noise. It’s disconcerting because you're reminded of a church. In this movie, there’s nothing more frightening. Except maybe the lodge at night. It’s like everything about it has been selected to chip away at Grace’s sanity.

You’re unsure if the unease you feel comes from Grace’s head or if there's supernatural goings-on. There’s something not right about Aidan and Mia. He’s nasty when he’s not passive-aggressive. She’s obsessed with this doll that’s clearly an effigy for her dead mother (played by Alicia Silverstone in flashbacks). This whole scenario rubs you the wrong way. You’re not sure how to feel about anyone. Is Grace being punished for “breaking up” Richard and Laura’s marriage? Is this an opportunity for the new mom to prove herself? Is it all tied to her past trauma, or is it a coincidence? You don't know. Finding out means facing your fears but what kind of horrors await? Is this all psychological? Is there a ghost haunting Grace? If so, whose?

The camerawork, moody color palette, and sound design all work together to prop up an excellent script. Riley Keough, in particular, is alternatively vulnerable, sympathetic, panic-inducing, and terrifying. Your eyes are glued onto her every move and emotion. Are certain aspects of the story improbable? Yes. You have to look at this less as a "could it happen" and instead as a "what would happen"? Does plausibility matter when the end results are this effective anyway? The Lodge will have you sweating just looking at a dark corner. That’s the mark of an excellent horror film. (November 9, 2020)

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Caller (2011)

I sought out The Caller because of how much I enjoyed its Vietnamese remake. Although the poster looks about as generic as you can get for a horror movie, the premise is ingenious. This is an inventive horror film that differs significantly from the film it inspired, meaning you can watch both and hardly feel like anything is repeated.

Mary Kee (Rachelle Lefevre) has moved into a new apartment to escape her abusive ex-husband (Ed Quinn). On her first day, she receives a strange phone call from Rose (Lorna Raver), whom she eventually realizes is living in the past. Though separated by decades, they form an unlikely friendship. When Rose becomes obsessed with Mary and threatens to alter her past if she doesn’t do as she says, Mary is held hostage by someone who may not even be alive today.

I love this concept because it makes the film different from other stalker horror stories. Mary is being stalked and tormented but there's no going to the police here. Even if Mary could track down Rose in the present, it’s not like that would do anything. Locking her up in a closet today doesn't change yesterday. Calling Rose to tell her the balance of power has changed and all she has to do is alter the future. How do you fight back against someone with that kind of power?

One glimmer of hope keeps the suspense burning even brighter than it would normally. Mary is against another human being and her future state must give her some advantages. Unfortunately, there's the matter of her ex-husband, who seems to have a gift for showing up at the worst time and poses yet another threat.

Ultimately, The Call is the better movie because of the ending. The Caller doesn’t fully utilize its premise during the conclusion, which is disappointing. It doesn't mean you need to pick only one, however. The two are so different you could be convinced the similarities are nothing more than coincidence. What this film does well certainly makes it worth seeing. The best scare comes in a scene in which Mary looks through the old photo album and notices some of the photos have suddenly changed. It’s such an unsettling visual but outside of the context, what are you seeing, really? It’s not like it’s a ghost or a demonic visage popping up, it’s simply a hint of an ordinary-looking person faraway. Seeing that one shot makes you paranoid for the whole movie. Whenever the camera goes outside, you’ll constantly look in the background, wondering if that one person in the distance is present-day Rose coming to finish the job she started years ago.

Although The Caller becomes conventional during its final act, you won’t mind too much. Its ideas are so good you just want to see what's next. This goes to show that with a proper spin, an idea we've seen before becomes wholly new. (December 1, 2020)