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The Lodgers (2017 film)
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Wikipedia article
'The Lodgers' is a 2017 Irish gothic horror film written by David Turpin and directed by Brian O'Malley. The film stars Charlotte Vega, Bill Milner, and Eugene Simon.
It was shot on location at Loftus Hall in 2016 and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival 2017.
Synopsis
1920, rural Ireland. Anglo-Irish twins Rachel (Charlotte Vega) and Edward (Bill Milner) share an isolated existence in their crumbling family estate. Each nighttime, the property becomes the domain of sinister watery presences ("the lodgers") which enforce three rules upon the twins: they must be in bed by midnight; they may not permit an outsider past the threshold; if one attempts to escape, the life of the other is placed in jeopardy. They are reminded of these rules by way of a nursery rhyme: "Girl child, boy child, listen well. Be in bed by midnight's bell. Never let a stranger through your door. Never leave each other all alone. Good sister, good brother be, follow well these cautions three. Long as your blood be ours alone, we'll see you ever from below."O
Cast
*Charlotte Vega as Rachel
* David Bradley as Bermingham
* Bill Milner as Edward
* Eugene Simon as Sean
* Moe Dunford as Dessie
* Roisin Murphy as Kay
* Deirdre O'Kane as Maura
Release
'The Lodgers' was chosen as part of the official selection for the Contemporary World Cinema category at the Toronto International Film Festival. This was the film's world premiere. 'The Lodgers' was screened during the opening weekend of the festival on September 8 and 9. The director, writer, producer, and three lead cast were in attendance. It was released on March 9 in Italy where it made $258,508 on its opening weekend.
Reception
Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 56% based on 45 reviews, with a weighted average rating of 5.8/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Like many real-life long-term visitors, 'The Lodgers' starts out with a modicum of mystery and excitement, but eventually overstays its welcome." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 52 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".Jonathan Barken from 'Dread Central' wrote: "Delicately crafted, 'The Lodgers' is a richly woven tapestry of classically inspired gothic horror. Smart, scary, and undeniably beautiful, it will no doubt be considered one of the pinnacles of its genre." Chris Alexander from ComingSoon.net wrote: "There hasnt been a more effective, disturbing and sensorially pleasing film of this kind since Alejandro Amenabars 'The Others' and, like that masterpiece, OMalleys artful, lurid and meticulously orchestrated exercise in atmosphere, pretty misery and dread seeps deep under your skin. And it stays there. For keeps." Justin Lowe from 'The Hollywood Reporter' wrote: "finely attuned, atmospheric filmmaking more likely to catch the attention of art house aficionados than dedicated horror fans."
Noel Murray from the 'Los Angeles Times' wrote: "Until its suspenseful final 15 minutes, 'The Lodgers' is frustratingly stingy with the scares, mostly limiting the spooky stuff to creaky noises and the recurring image of water dripping upward...(the film) isn't especially frightening, but as the story of people weighed down by their legacies, it is genuinely haunting." Manohla Dargis from 'The New York Times' said about the film: "Working with an uneven cast and an undercooked story, Mr. OMalley hits the horror beats just fine (slam, creak, squeak) without putting a sinister spin on the assorted strange doings. For all the genre exertions, none of this feels the least bit spooky, including the digital ghouls that float in and the cobwebs that look as if they originated in a spray can."
Katie Rife from 'The A.V. Club' stated: "as a ghost story, 'The Lodgers' is about as original as it was a dark and stormy night, moldy old tropes can still have their charms. Just look at that house." Simon Abrams from RogerEbert.com gave the film two out of four stars and wrote: "'The Lodgers' disappoints on a number of levels, many of which have more to do with the limitations of its creators' imagination than the apparently minuscule budget."
Accolades
'The Lodgers' won the prizes for "Best Actress" (Charlotte Vega) and Best Special Effects at the Fancine. The film also won "Best Visual Effects" and was nominated "Best Production Design" and "Best Costume Design" at the 15th Irish Film & Television Awards. At the "Molins de Rei Horror Film Festival", 'The Lodgers' won the Jury Prize for "Best Film".References
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