The Lodge (2020)

Even though Sir Alfred Hitchcock never won an Oscar, he’s one of cinema’s most influential auteurs. Without his slasher classic Psycho (1960), we may not have the thrillers Dressed to Kill (1980); the chiller dillers Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) and Halloween (1978); or the twists and turns in Scream (1996). Of course, Hitchcock’s Vertigo led to Brian De Palma’s neo-noir drama Obsession (1976) and the Mel Brooks spoof High Anxiety (1977). And where would Throw Momma from the Train (1987) be if Hitch didn’t first make Strangers on a Train (1951)? Combine his silent movie The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927) with his Best Picture flick Rebecca (1940) and you’ve got the inspiration for the indie film The Lodge (2019). Not to be confused with The Lodger (2009) or The Lodgers (2017), this horror movie follows Grace Marshall (Riley Keough) as she vacations to a Massachusetts lodge with her fiancé Richard Hall (Richard Armitage) and his children (Jaeden Martell and Lia McHugh). It sounds like a fine idea until the family gets snowed in together and supernatural forces awaken past traumas. Apparently, young Grace (Lola Reid) was the sole survivor of a religious cult where everyone offed themselves. Now it seems the forces of those ill-fated folks are out to get revenge. Luckily for us, Riley provides some relief from the tension when she reveals her bare breasts in the bathroom — not once, but twice! Mr. Skin can overlook Ms. Marshall’s emotional baggage for Ms. Keough’s nude boobage!