THE LODGE is a production from Hammer Films. Hammer was a British
company that specialized in horror and science fiction from the mid
1950s to the late 1970s. In 2008 Hammer came back or (as many
claim) a modern production company acquired the right to use the
Hammer name. The new Hammer has even taken images from the
original Hammer's films as part of their logo. Their first film
was the obscure BEYOND THE RAVE, but their second was the much
better known English-language version of John Ajvide Lindqvist's
novel LET THE RIGHT ONE IN. That novel had been adapted in 2008 by
Tomas Alfredson into a Swedish language film with the same title as
the novel. This re-use of other material makes sense since Hammer
won their stripes making English cinema versions of television
shows and American horror franchises.

Frankly I do not care if they really are or are not the original
Hammer. They are making movies in the best tradition of Hammer
Films. They are not in the same style, but they are solid genre
films made intelligently to make the most of a smallish budget.
That is the best tradition of the original Hammer. Even if they
only bought the name, they are doing well by it.

THE LODGE is their eighth film. A frozen environment is the
setting, leaving the viewer with a chilled feeling. Two children,
their stepmom-to-be, and a dog are trapped in an isolated New
England cabin in the woods during a blizzard. (The father has
taken the car to go back to the city.) Compared with old Hammer
horror films, there is more atmosphere, but the same or less
character development. The pacing is slow, perhaps to add to the
feeling of isolation. Soon strange things start happening. While
not quite up to Hammer's LET ME IN or THE WOMAN IN BLACK, it has
its moments.

Released 02/07/20; available on Amazon Prime. Rating: high +1
(-4 to +4)

The new Hammer Films productions are:
BEYOND THE RAVE (2008)
LET ME IN (2010)
THE RESIDENT (2011)
WAKE WOOD (2011)
THE WOMAN IN BLACK (2012)
THE QUIET ONES (2014)
THE WOMAN IN BLACK: ANGEL OF DEATH (2015)
THE LODGE (2019)

Film credits: <https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7347846/reference>

What others are saying:
<https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_lodge>

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On Fri, 29 Jan 2021 07:16:38 -0800 (PST), Mark Leeper
<mleeper@optonline.net> wrote:

THE LODGE is a production from Hammer Films. Hammer was a British
company that specialized in horror and science fiction from the mid
1950s to the late 1970s. In 2008 Hammer came back or (as many
claim) a modern production company acquired the right to use the
Hammer name. The new Hammer has even taken images from the
original Hammer's films as part of their logo. Their first film
was the obscure BEYOND THE RAVE, but their second was the much
better known English-language version of John Ajvide Lindqvist's
novel LET THE RIGHT ONE IN. That novel had been adapted in 2008 by
Tomas Alfredson into a Swedish language film with the same title as
the novel. This re-use of other material makes sense since Hammer
won their stripes making English cinema versions of television
shows and American horror franchises.

Frankly I do not care if they really are or are not the original
Hammer. They are making movies in the best tradition of Hammer
Films. They are not in the same style, but they are solid genre
films made intelligently to make the most of a smallish budget.
That is the best tradition of the original Hammer. Even if they
only bought the name, they are doing well by it.

THE LODGE is their eighth film. A frozen environment is the
setting, leaving the viewer with a chilled feeling. Two children,
their stepmom-to-be, and a dog are trapped in an isolated New
England cabin in the woods during a blizzard. (The father has
taken the car to go back to the city.) Compared with old Hammer
horror films, there is more atmosphere, but the same or less
character development. The pacing is slow, perhaps to add to the
feeling of isolation. Soon strange things start happening. While
not quite up to Hammer's LET ME IN or THE WOMAN IN BLACK, it has
its moments.

I found their version of /Let Me In/ superior because it settled for a
reaction shot instead of showing child porn like the Swedish version
did.

But neither was very realistic at the end. Perhaps I just don't like
the story.

/The Woman in Black/ was a bitter disappointment, nothing at all like
anything I have ever wanted or ever will want to see. Pure pandering
to spiritualist romance fans.

So thanks for the warning about /The Lodge/. If it isn't up to those
two, it can't possibly be worth watching.

As to the idea that these films bear /any/ resemblance to the original
Hammer films -- what are you smoking?

Released 02/07/20; available on Amazon Prime. Rating: high +1
(-4 to +4)

The new Hammer Films productions are:
BEYOND THE RAVE (2008)
LET ME IN (2010)
THE RESIDENT (2011)
WAKE WOOD (2011)
THE WOMAN IN BLACK (2012)
THE QUIET ONES (2014)
THE WOMAN IN BLACK: ANGEL OF DEATH (2015)
THE LODGE (2019)

Film credits: <https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7347846/reference>

What others are saying:
<https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_lodge>

--
"I begin to envy Petronius."
"I have envied him long since."

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