REVIEW: ‘The Lodgers’
Photo: The Lodgers, a new horror film, stars Charlotte Vega and David Bradley. Photo courtesy of Epic Pictures / Provided with permission.
David Bradley, the great British character actor, can do no wrong. He has enlivened so many movies and TV shows — too many to count — and now he can add the new horror thriller, The Lodgers, to his long list of accomplishments. The sedate film is not much to scream about, but Bradley’s few scenes help elevate the material, for sure.
The premise of the movie, which is directed by Brian O’Malley and written by David Turpin, involves two twins, played by Charlotte Vega and Bill Milner, who are confined to their family’s estate because of a nebulous family curse. Their parents and grandparents met unexpected and horrific ends, and it appears that the characters of Rachel and Edward are paying some type of purgatorial penance for past sins.
Rachel is the main focus of the story. She leaves the estate from time to time and begins to eye a local veteran, played by Eugene Simon, who has returned home to Ireland from World War I. The two have a budding relationship, but hovering over them is Edward, who sticks to the rules and stays within the confines of the house. There are also not-so-subtle innuendos made about Rachel and Edward’s own relationship with each other.
Bradley plays an unsuspecting neighbor who is brought into this family’s twisted story of misery. Being that outsiders are technically not allowed inside the house, Bradley’s character pushes the limits of how powerful this family curse is and what happens when family members and visitors break the rules.
The Lodgers has a great setting. The Irish countryside and this manor house are exquisite and foreboding. The acting is also decent, especially from Bradley, Vega and Milner. Turpin’s story, on the other hand, never takes off and seems marred by the rules of the family curse. In some ways, the twins’ confinement keeps the main narrative similarly confined, and the full horrors of the house and its history never come to full realization.
Still, there’s a lot to appreciate with the atmosphere and general commitment to the overall story. This is not a cheap-thrills horror movie with scares around every corner. It’s a character study that takes time to unfurl. The fact that the sum of its parts doesn’t add up to much is a disappointment.
The Lodgers will be remembered for its atmospheric eeriness and as being yet another résumé bullet point for Bradley.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Lodgers (2018), directed by Brian O’Malley and written by David Turpin, stars Charlotte Vega, Bill Milner, Eugene Simon and David Bradley. Running time: 90 minutes. Rating: 
