Minority Mindset

Look, this actor absolutely blew me away this year. Everyone’s talking about his complex character in this new film, but it’s worth remembering he also played a similarly flawed, yet compelling, figure – this time as a criminal – in the fantastic series MobLand. Seeing him nail both roles in the same year really cemented his status as the master of the anti-hero. He just gets those morally gray characters, and delivers a performance you can’t look away from.

The film centers on a wealthy but deeply troubled American family who relocated to Spain six years ago, drawn by the mother’s love of Gaudi and the children’s appreciation for Balenciaga. Since the mother’s tragic death, the family has lived off her inheritance, with the children caring for their demanding, blind father. Jack seems to be the most adjusted, but his brothers and sister harbor complicated feelings for him – Robert is secretly infatuated, and Anna is intensely jealous of Jack’s fiancée, Martha. The family dynamics are far more disturbing than simple sibling rivalry, and Jack’s seemingly normal life is a facade. The story is narrated by Edward, who longs to escape to Greece and fixates on luxury goods. He admits to creating empty, pseudo-philosophical statements, like, “A banana falls down, no matter. A melon falls down, it’s over,” and “People are roses. Families are rosebushes. Rosebushes need pruning.” Revealing more about the plot would spoil the film’s many shocking twists.

In a recent interview with MovieWeb, director Trachtenberg revealed that the voice of Kwei’s Ship Computer was provided by the creators of Stranger Things, the Duffer brothers. He shared with us:

Directed by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, known for their films Goodnight Mommy and The Devil’s Bath, The Lodge is a chilling, atmospheric horror film that puts a unique spin on the classic “cabin in the woods” trope. While it features some familiar scares, this critically praised movie offers something different than typical horror fare.