Synopsis
1920, rural Ireland. Anglo-Irish twins Rachel and Edward share a strange existence in their crumbling family estate. Each night, the property becomes the domain of a sinister presence (The Lodgers) which enforces three rules upon the twins: they must be in bed by midnight; they may not permit an outsider past the threshold; and if one attempts to escape, the life of the other is placed in jeopardy. When troubled war veteran Sean returns to the nearby village, he is immediately drawn to the mysterious Rachel, who in turn begins to break the rules set out by The Lodgers. The consequences pull Rachel into a deadly confrontation with her brother - and with the curse that haunts them.
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Cast
- Charlotte VegaRachel
- Bill MilnerEdward
- Eugene SimonSean
- David BradleyBermingham
- Moe DunfordDessie
- Deirdre O'KaneMaura
- Roisin MurphyKay
- Anthony MurphyPoliceman
- Brendan O'RourkeBritish Soldier
- Emmet KellyBritish Soldier
Recommendations
- 80
The Hollywood Reporter
More ominously mysterious than outright terrifying, this is finely attuned, atmospheric filmmaking. - 60
Los Angeles Times
The Lodgers isn't especially frightening, but as the story of people weighed down by their legacies, it is genuinely haunting. - 60
Variety
David Turpin’s screenplay is adequate but slender, with rather too few complications and a foundational mythology that, when finally revealed, proves pretty skimpy itself. That doesn’t trouble O’Malley. He brings so much gloomy, lustrous visual enchantment to the tale that it feels quite bewitching while you’re watching it. - 58
The A.V. Club
It’s a serviceable period ghost story that’s slight in story and not exactly subtle in themes, but contains a few genuinely striking images and atmosphere to spare. - 50
The Film Stage
The Lodgers reveals itself to be a beautiful gothic horror with a captivating truth mishandled in a desire to surprise more than resonate. - 50
The Seattle Times
The Lodgers is never particularly scary, or even logical, but it’s always gorgeous to look at; you can see where it’s going, but you might not mind watching it go there. - 50
RogerEbert.com
The Lodgers needs to be better than a great mood in need of a decent story and stronger characters. - 40
The New York Times
Working with an uneven cast and an undercooked story, Mr. O’Malley 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.
