How THE LODGE Directors Put A Chilly Spin On A Playful Horror Story
The Lodge is almost here. Get your tickets now!
If you were a fan of Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz's feature debut, Goodnight Mommy, then you might have some idea of what to expect from their latest chiller, The Lodge. This delightfully deranged little horror film follows a woman named Grace (Riley Keough) as she joins her boyfriend (Richard Armitage) and his two kiddos (Jaeden Martell and Lia McHugh) for a weekend getaway at a remote winter cabin. When their father is suddenly called back to work and a blizzard strikes, the kids are stuck inside the cabin—miles away from anywhere—with Grace. As a series of disturbing events occur in and around the cabin, it becomes increasingly apparent that something may be wrong with Grace—and her mysterious past might have something to do with it.
Or not! That's part of the fun of The Lodge, which keeps viewers guessing until the very end. And while there are only a couple of ways this twisted narrative could go, Fiala and Franz have fun playing with expectations and keying up the dread. Following a special screening of The Lodge at the Alamo Drafthouse in Brooklyn earlier this week, Fiala and Franz were joined by their young stars for a Q&A—which you can now watch in its entirety below (though it's probably best to do so after you've seen the film). Given the similarities between The Lodge and Goodnight Mommy, you might be surprised to learn that Fiala and Franz did not write the initial screenplay for their sophomore feature. Hammer Films sent the duo the script by Sergio Casci, and, as Fiala explains, they were both enamored with how playful it was—so they set about "taking all the fun out of it."
Fiala and Franz discuss how they removed quite a bit of dialogue and exposition from the script to essentially remake it in their image, resulting in a film experience that's more about character and atmosphere than twists and turns. Watch them talk about The Lodge, casting Jaeden and Lia, and some of their biggest challenges in making the film below:
