The Lodgers

As the title of this review states, the film had several things going for it. The location was amazing, the acting very good and the atmosphere that the film created was very effective.

However, in terms of story and horror the film just did not deliver. It never lifted itself to reach any satisfying level after the promising start. The mythology it eventually revealed was stupid. Boring.

I am very forgiving of horror films and I so much wanted to love this after the first few minutes drew me in. But it was unlovable.

In Ireland, in the 20´s, the twins Rachel (Charlotte Vega) and Edward (Bill Milner) live in a dilapidated manor in the estate that belongs to their family. They believe the place is haunted and follow three rules of survival: they must be in bed by midnight; they may not allow a stranger to cross the threshold; and they must stay together. When they are eighteen, their tutor and lawyer Bermingham (David Bradley) advises that they must sell the real estate since their trust fund is exhausted but Edward is reluctant to leave the property. When Rachel is flirted by the handicapped soldier Sean (Eugene Simon) that returned from the war to his family house at the nearby village, she feels a great attraction and breaks the rules imposed by The Lodgers with tragic consequences.

"The Lodgers" is a melancholic Irish ghost story with a wonderful cinematography. The non-commercial story has ambiguous interpretation until the conclusion when the truth about the place and the twins is disclosed. The plot is developed at a slow pace and has no gore, and maybe this is the reason to have negative reviews. However it is worthwhile watching by fans of ghost stories. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

The Lodgers is an Irish made horror which looks like a Hollywood movie complete with production values and standard genre flaws.

It tells the tale of a brother & sister living in a mysterious house who must follow certain rules to not upset a supernatural entity that appears to be present within the same walls.

It's bleak, it's moody and truth be told it really isn't that interesting. Though it certainly looks the part there isn't much of value to see!

Starring Game of Thrones stars David Bradley & Eugene Simon by the time the movie goes anywhere it's pretty much over already. It's a slow burn with no payoff and the journey is uninteresting and lifeless.

Visually a triumph for Irish cinema, on every other level a complete failure.

The Good:

Looks great

Couple of interesting ideas

The Bad:

Lifeless

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Horror movies with a coherent plot are few and far between

People in movies can hold their breath for considerably longer than the real world

This film was interesting to say the least. The acting is good, Had a few creepy moments. I was really hoping for more of a story line, it left much to be desired in the end. All in all not great, but not bad either. Just a solid meh

A beautiful ghost story about two siblings living in a decaying house around 1920. It's reminiscent of The House of Usher and if you like classic ghost stories like The Woman in Black (less cheesy jump scares) and Crimson Peak (also full of beautiful visuals, but less color and more texture based) then this is for you!