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Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Michael (Owen Szabo) and Julia (Elizabeth Kell) travel to the Rocky Mountains in order to spend a romantic few days alone together. A likable duo, their never-ending foreplay is nevertheless nauseating, and yet this is how directors Brad Helmink and John Rauschelbach feel they need to convey their feelings for each other.They meet proprietor Henry (Kevin McClatchy) amidst a carnage of general untidiness when they arrive. No hint of an apology forthcoming, Henry proves to be … a bit of a twit, really. Ignorant and arrogant yet formidable, he refers to the couples as 'kids', so it makes no sense when Michael subsequently tries to 'bond' with him by reminiscing about past sporting achievements and telling him how passionate a lover Julia is. As such, much of the couple's time together now becomes an awkward three-way thing.The well-being of the twosome isn't helped by the discovery of a dishevelled young girl Desi (Mandi Kreisher), seemingly kept prisoner in a locked room of the lodge. Why she hasn't made her presence known before now is made clear when her relationship with Henry – not his real name, by the way – is revealed.'The Lodge' is ultimately a well-made, nicely directed, convincingly acted horror thriller. There's a good slow build-up of menace aided immeasurably by the superbly hypnotic score by Yagmur Kaplan. Not the most original or ground-breaking story you'll ever know, but it makes no claims to be – although the DVD cover's proclamation 'The Shining meets Cabin in the Woods' is guilty of overselling its effectiveness.

While staying at a remote countryside lodge, a man and his girlfriend's planned weekend of carefree sex is halted when they learn the mysterious handyman has more on his mind than fixing up the place and must escape from his murderous clutches.Predictable, barely worthwhile effort that has pretty much everything we've seen in these types of films before and nothing at all new or original to this. It plays out pretty much as we expect it to, the ignoring of the obvious signs to continue on partying, the failure to recognize when they're in danger, and most of all it takes about an hour before he snaps and turns psycho, so there's nothing at all that's going on for the majority of the movie before the ending, which instead of dealing out torture, revolves around chasing, beating and running away, leaving little blood and gore involved as well. Still, this could've been quite fine, with a fine setting and some sleaze that had the finale chasing around the compound been a bit more enjoyable. A major letdown in most regards.Rated R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language and Nudity.

As with many other horror stories, things seem to go wrong when you put any number of young people in the woods. With "The Lodge", this is no exception. A young couple, away from the world and set on a non-stop drug-fueled and sexually-charged romantic getaway, have rented the eponymous lodge. But plans go awry when they encounter the caretaker (soap opera guest star Kevin McClatchy), a friendly but seriously deranged woodsman.There is much good that can be said about "The Lodge". For a film that is starring and created by completely unknown people, I was impressed with the final product. The writer (Deb Havener) went through extra effort to create a background for the characters (drummer from a rich family with a music degree, for example). The directing is solid, although I question why there are so many shots of the fields (it seems some shots and the opening credits served no purpose other than to stretch out the length). Music, lighting and all the technical aspects were of a respectable quality (not Hollywood, but at least straight-to-DVD).The two male leads are on opposite ends of the spectrum in the talent department. The young lover was nothing special... he could have been anyone and have been played by anyone, I just had no reason to care about him. The caretaker, on the other hand, was dynamic and menacing. At times I felt he was creepy, at others I felt sorry for him, as he appeared more lonely than sadistic. The range and diversity of his emotions would be hard to put in one character and remain consistent, but yet this was achieved flawlessly. If there's one redeeming factor of this film, it's the caretaker.On a side note, this film raises questions about relationships that I'd like to touch upon (sorry, horror fans). We are clued in early on that the male lead plans on proposing to the female lead, and we have to give him credit for choosing a beautiful locale and a gorgeous woman. But yet, the constant fighting makes it clear they may not be ready for long term commitment. What is the message here? Are we saying that marriage proposals are good and can solve problems? Are we saying that stressful situations can draw people closer? As I often opine, didn't "Speed" teach us anything? The biggest problem with "The Lodge" is the sheer blandness. While there is a fair level of success in creating a creepy atmosphere, at the same time we are rather limited because there are only three key characters. Unlike other horror films, no one can die here or the film has to end prematurely. So the suspense has to be drawn out as long as possible, which works at times and fails at others. Time is also filled with countless sex scenes that go nowhere (sorry, guys). And if you want gore, you're not going to see much here (low body count equals low blood flow).I found "The Lodge" to be enjoyable and watchable (which, these days, is more than I can say for many films). But there was nothing here I haven't seen in a dozen other films. I give Deb Havener credit for the development but her plot writing needs work. For another story involving two people alone in a rented room, see "Vacancy". The sheer intensity of that one makes "The Lodge" look like a Lifetime Network film. And that's not good.

Either this was written and made by three 15-year-olds or they were targeting the double-digit IQ audience and spending the minimum required to somehow show a profit at straight-to-video. It's a cynical attempt to get some product out there without too much effort or creative ability.There are holes in the script large enough to fly a dozen jumbos through. The acting is ordinary, but not helped by the stupid script, so I wouldn't condemn these unknowns, who probably worked for peanuts. But pay peanuts and... you get flicks like this.Then there's this attempt at a twist ending that's so ludicrous you wonder if perhaps it was supposed to be a satire all along!Maybe I got the maker's ages wrong, they could be younger - whatever, they're certainly not the sharpest knives in the drawer, pardon the expression.Avoid if you've got any taste and a life.