Anderson Cowan and I used to do random movie picks during the early days of CinemAddicts, and now for my site I’ll be spotlighting Blu-rays and DVDs that are worth your attention. First up is The Lodgers, a Gothic mansion thriller that I absolutely love.
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Billed as a “gothic supernatural thriller,” The Lodgers centers on Rachel (Charlotte Vega – fyi a star in the making) and Edward (Bill Milner, conjuring up memories of Psycho’s Anthony Perkins), orphaned twins who are bound to their childhood house due to some mysterious curse.
Havoc will ensue if they do not follow the following restricting rules: they must be in their rooms by midnight and be close together, and they may never allow strangers into the home. The decaying Gothic mansion, which is actually Ireland’s Loftus Hall, is a breathtaking sight that puts the movie into an entirely different level.
Directed by Brian O’Malley and penned by David Turpin, The Lodgers is a visually eye-catching film which, more importantly, serves the knockout punch with its deeply compelling (and at times heartbreaking) story. Eugene Simon (Game of Thrones) co-stars as a WWI vet who becomes smitten with Rachel, and fellow GOT vet David Bradley is the greedy family attorney who informs the twins that their inheritance has all but dried up.
Gothic thrillers can be a bit of a slow burn, where the creepy chills and twists are just a part of the seductively haunting atmosphere. Though The Lodgers sets that type of world from the get go, O’Malley isn’t afraid to throw in a bit of action and verve into the mix. For example, many films of this genre usually wait for the latter moments of the third act to ratchet up the action and scares, but The Lodgers doesn’t fall into this predictable space.
Special features on the Blu-ray include two deleted scenes (totaling a bit over two minutes) and a 22-minute featurette on the making of the flick. If you’re a fan of The Lodgers, the featurette won’t disappoint, as there’s some great behind the scenes footage from the final moments that are worth a look. The deleted scenes are short, but the second scene features more of David Bradley, and he’s an absolute scene stealer.
The Lodgers Blu-ray can be ordered via Epic Pictures’ site.
****If you’ve seen The Lodgers or are planning to check it out, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the movie. Comments are below!!
ICYMI this month’s episode of CinemAddicts: