Caddo Lake

I went into this knowing nothing about this movie, except the genre. I am glad that that was the case! I had no expectations and was able to just let the plot unfold and experience the discovery right along with the protagonists. I really enjoyed it. If it's not too late, I'd recommend not reading the plot summary or any detailed reviews before watching.

It starts out feeling a bit like a family drama but pay attention because sprinkled throughout are little plot supporting elements. You might even reach a point where you'll be wondering just what in the world is going on. Don't worry... it's all explained fairly neatly before it's done. Just hang in there!

Well it's obvious that the makers of Caddo Lake were inspired by the excellent German series Dark. Nothing wrong with that but to me it looked a bit like a déjà-vu. I still enjoyed watching it though. There is a good mysterious vibe to it and that keeps you interested in the story. But like the series Dark it's also very difficult to understand, you'll have to think deeply about it and then certain things might not look plausible or making sense. The acting was good, better than average, and so was the cinematography. All in all an interesting movie but if you look for something longer and better the German show is what you want.

Once you figure out what's going on, the story itself after the fact isn't exactly groundbreaking. However, the way they pull it off is pretty impressive. I don't think people consider enough the degree of coordination that's required to apply pacing and tone in any given film, especially when you throw in special effects and lighting potentially dependent on time of day. This movie does all of it pretty flawlessly, and creates an almost tactile momentum that carries you through. While I wasn't surprised it ended when it did, not once was I looking for it or had it in mind until it was over. That's usually a clear mark of competence for storytelling. The final scene did feel a bit empty, though, for reasons I can't quite explain. Maybe a clearer angle of a final, knowing look from Celeste would have remedied this, but that's just a stray thought, not genuine criticism.

Acting was spot on for everyone involved. Dylan O'Brien is something of a standout. I've seen his work before but this one really let him shine. Lauren Ambrose also completely sells the manic/distressed persona and just became this person. Eliza Scanlen not once failed to sell me what was happening on-screen. Talents like these make it so much easier to lose yourself in whatever is being shown and it's always appreciated.

Great watch. Adept filmmakers on display and I'm here for it.

Now this may not be a great movie but it's definitely a good one. And once all is revealed highly original. I did guess it before ( after a couple of clues ) I knew the whole story but that didn't ruin the good twists toward the end. Two stories run parallel to each other and both get better and better. As many have said the movie starts of slow and uninteresting. During the first half hour my wife kept asking me what the heck the movie is about but after a couple of plot reveals the story tightens and weaves to come together in the end. O'Brian as always does a good job and is helped by an earnest supporting cast. Pacing also picks up in the second half. As aforementioned stick with it and you should enjoy it as much as we did.

While the story progresses slowly it's never dull or boring, the slow burn builds mystery and maybe even a little confusion. Towards the middle it all starts to come together and it just gets better and better. Dylan's performance is spot on and in general all the acting was really good. It was not scary, it was mysterious and more of a thriller. The visuals were great, enough that it should have had a premier in the movie theater.

Overall if you like mystery this is definitely a must watch, very entertaining and enjoyable. The story is really good and I didn't look into what people were saying it was based on but maybe that's a good thing. I doubt they copied anything but maybe they based it off a previous movie.