10 Unique Genre-Bending Indie Films Of 2020

2. The Lodge

Genre: Mystery / Horror

Six months after their mother's suicide, Aidan and Mia's father takes them for a family vacation to his girlfriend's lodge. However, things take a turn when they start experiencing strange events.

THE LODGE is the next trick Swiss director Veronika Franz plays on our minds after “Goodnight Mommy”. And just like in her debut, she leaves the familiar horror area and goes knee deep into the fields of mystery. What’s the difference, you may ask, as horror ideally comes with a great deal of mystery. But while in the horror genre the mystery doesn't always have to be solved and is usually paranormal, mystery usually tries to creep you out like an urban legend or a scary make-belief which hast, more often than not, a natural explanation - such as overcoming trauma or eating some bad cheese and hallucinating.

THE LODGE is a thoroughly compelling watch, refreshing to the horror genre where with a fresh touch of complexity instead of well times jump scares. While it basically deals with the usual dysfunctional family drama (I know, I know, I said we’ll leaves these out, so bare with me in this one), it does not rely on that topic at all. And this is where the mystery comes in.

The movie engages with quite the sophisticated philosophical questions, and fathoms reality which distinguishes life and death. It’s not necessary to reinvent the wheel to make a smart horror movie with more than just family drama, but with a clever mystery that might or might not be of supernatural nature. It’s quiet tone and new age approach will leave viewers pondering for sure.