Caddo Lake – Movie Review | Max (4/5)

CADDO LAKE on Max is a new sci-fi mystery thriller with a wonderful cast and a very engaging story. I am a sucker for this kind of story. So much so that I don’t even mind being able to guess some of the twists. Read our full Caddo Lake movie review here!

CADDO LAKE is a new Max Original film. It’s a sci-fi mystery thriller and when I tell you one of the producers is M. Night Shyamalan, you’re already anticipating some kind of twist. Well, this Max Original delivers on that.

With a runtime of just around 100 minutes, it really packs a punch. You find yourself caring about the characters because the story unfolds in exactly the right way to ensure this. Very impressive. Even if you guess some twists along the way, it’s still a good experience.

Continue reading our Caddo Lake movie review below. Find it on Max from October 10, 2024.

So much loss…

In Caddo Lake, the story starts getting traction when an 8-year-old girl, Anna, disappears on Caddo Lake. And yes, this is a real lake located in a cypress forest on the border of Texas and Louisiana.

However, before we even get to this part of the story, we see a young man (Dylan O’Brien) lose his mother in a terrible car accident. He’s in the car with her but cannot save her and it haunts him. Always questioning if he could’ve done something or prevented it somehow is tearing him apart.

You’ll quickly discover that Caddo Lake is a story of loss. From past deaths to current disappearances, we see a family’s history marred by pain. Also, we see several stories play out at the same time, so part of the storytelling is linking all of these characters together.

The cast is amazing with Dylan O’Brien (Love and Monsters) and Eliza Scanlen (Old) as the two main protagonists. Also, we have Diana Hopper (Aftermath), Caroline Falk, and Sam Hennings with Eric Lange (Day Shift) and the wonderful Lauren Ambrose (Servant).

A different family history *minor spoilers*

We don’t do spoilers here at Heaven of Horror, but I must admit this next part could be described as a kind of indirect spoiler. You see, I really liked Caddo Lake and this was, in part, due to certain mystery elements that reminded me of other productions.

Now, as soon as I mention these other productions, your mind will inevitably start trying to guess and/or discover what they have in common. So, if you want to avoid any and all mild spoilers, just keep scrolling to the final segment. If not, you have been warned!

*possible Caddo Lake spoilers below*

There’s a niche of storytelling that I just adore. It’s a kind of sci-fi mystery where family or friends can somehow communicate across time. A movie like Frequency dealt with this and so did the German Netflix series Dark.

Those two stories are wildly different and neither of them like the story of Caddo Lake.

And yet, I mention them because if you also like these stories – where family members across generations manage to help each other in strange ways – you cannot miss out on Caddo Lake. That’s all I wanted to say, so it isn’t that much of a spoiler.

*mild spoilers over*

Watch Caddo Lake on Max!

Caddo Lake comes from writer-directors Celine Held and Logan George. The two have directed episodes of some amazing series that also have that mystery, sci-fi, thriller vibe in some sense. From Dark Matter to Servant.

They also directed the award-winning short film Caroline (2018) which stars the young Caroline Falk, who plays the 8-year-old Anna in this new movie.

This film has been a long time in the making. It was shot in late 2021 and 2022 in and around Karnak, Texas, and now it’s finally coming to Max. And don’t imagine that it has spent time on a shelve somewhere because it isn’t good.

In fact, it’s a movie that has stayed with me since watching it. In a good way!

Caddo Lake is out on Max from October 10, 2024.

Details

Writers & Directors: Celine Held & Logan George
Cast: Dylan O’Brien, Eliza Scanlen, Diana Hopper, Caroline Falk, Sam Hennings, Eric Lange, Lauren Ambrose