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A slow-burn thriller with a deep emotional core, an intricately plotted genre exercise, and an acting showcase for two talented young performers, Caddo Lake, on paper, sounds like the complete package. It takes a while to get going, and the first act is particularly testing, but it’s also the kind of film that gets better with every passing minute. In fact, Caddo Lake is at its best towards the end, when it ties all — or, at least two — of its narrative threads together, unleashing an emotional wallop that rivals only the sheer thrill of watching its well-executed twist. This shouldn’t come as a surprise; Caddo Lake is produced by M Night Shyamalan, but despite its climactic flourish, the film is its own beast. Directed by Celine Held and Logan George, the movie adopts a more naturalistic aesthetic to tell its rooted — sometimes literally — story about family ties and fractured relationships . Unlike the tightly composed shots in Shyamalan’s own movies, the handheld work in Caddo Lake — the movie is set in the lush swamplands of Texas — feels less showy. You could be fooled into thinking that you’re watching a Sundance drama. But it doesn’t take too long for the film to show its true colours. Also read – Jigra: Vasan Bala weaponises Alia Bhatt in one of the best Hindi films of the year; Karan Johar better have his back Dylan O’Brien stars as a young man named Paris, who is still grieving the accidental death of his mother some years ago. The doctors said that she had a seizure while driving, but Paris is certain that she was healthy. He appears to have devoted his life to uncovering the truth, even though others around him are convinced that he is just too broken to think clearly. A parallel plot focuses on a troubled young girl named Ellie, played by Eliza Scanlen. Still traumatised about her absent father, who supposedly went missing when she was a baby, Ellie refuses to accept her mother’s husband as family. The film’s first act is let down by unnecessary exposition, the sort that really sticks out. “I’m your mother,” Eliza’s mom, played by Lauren Ambrose, tells her in one scene, as if she didn’t know. Back in his side of the story, Paris’ dad is dumping information about the circumstances of his wife’s death. In these moments, despite the directors’ relatively solid command over the sombre tone, Caddo Lake comes across as worse than it actually is. It is only after the inciting incident — the sudden disappearance of Ellie’s eight-year-old half-sister — that it kicks into top gear. And then, it doesn’t relent. Ellie is blamed for little Anna’s disappearance, not because she had anything to do with it, but because Anna adored her, and couldn’t deal with the constant conflicts that she was being exposed to at home. When Ellie stormed out of their swamp-side house one evening after an argument with her mom, Anna apparently followed her. She never returned. As the entire community joins hands to comb through the backwaters on their boats, Ellie takes the investigation into her own hands. Now, this is where things get really interesting. Ellie discovers, wait for it, a portal of some sort in the middle of forested area in the swamp. This happens around the same as as Paris stumbles into the portal himself. Remember, they haven’t met yet. But it appears that they’re inextricably linked by a mysterious power. It wouldn’t be fair to reveal any further details about what happens, and it would be positively rude to reveal what the portal’s actual powers are. But suffice to say that it plays a massive role in the film’s second half. Both Ellie and Paris have believable reactions to the discovery, and no point in the film does it seem like they’re really in control. Their motivations remain deeply personal, which is critical in getting us to care about them. It helps that O’Brien and Scanlen are excellent in the central roles. They’re by themselves for the majority of the film, with nobody to play off of and little to say. And yet, their performances ground the movie’s more outlandish ideas in a recognisable reality. Read more – The Perfect Couple review: Phony and farcical, Netflix murder mystery doesn’t deserve Ishaan Khatter and its incredible cast To its credit, Caddo Lake sheds its overly explanatory early tone towards the end. The third act unfolds almost wordlessly, which would be difficult to pull off even without having to deal with the complex plot that the movie unwinds so casually. The film’s self-serious tone requires getting used to — there is absolutely no humour on offer, either tongue-in-cheek or otherwise. But it works hard to earn the audience’s trust, to avoid putting them in a position where they’re questioning the logic of it all. Caddo Lake isn’t merely one of the best thriller films of the spooky season, it’s among the best of the year. Caddo Lake Directors – Celine Held, Logan George Cast – Dylan O’Brien, Eliza Scalen, Lauren Ambrose, Eric Lange Rating – 4/5 Rohan Naahar is an assistant editor at Indian Express online. He covers pop-culture across formats and mediums. He is a 'Rotten Tomatoes-approved' critic and a member of the Film Critics Guild of India. He previously worked with the Hindustan Times, where he wrote hundreds of film and television reviews, produced videos, and interviewed the biggest names in Indian and international cinema. At the Express, he writes a column titled Post Credits Scene, and has hosted a podcast called Movie Police. You can find him on X at @RohanNaahar, and write to him at He is also on LinkedIn and Instagram. ... Read More None
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