Caddo Lake (film)

Last updated

Caddo Lake
Caddo Lake film poster.jpg
Release poster
Directed by
Written by
  • Celine Held
  • Logan George
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyLowell A. Meyer
Edited byLogan George
Music byDavid Baloche
Production
companies
Distributed by Max
Release date
  • October 10, 2024 (2024-10-10)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Caddo Lake is a 2024 American thriller film written and directed by Celine Held and Logan George. It stars Dylan O'Brien, Eliza Scanlen, Diana Hopper, Caroline Falk, Sam Hennings, Eric Lange, and Lauren Ambrose. M. Night Shyamalan serves as a producer under his Blinding Edge Pictures company.

Contents

The film was released on Max on October 10, 2024.

Plot

Ellie, her mother, step-father, and step-sister live near Caddo Lake, a mysterious body of water in Louisiana/Texas. Ellie's 8-year-old stepsister, Anna, vanishes one night while near the lake. The family and community begin searching for her. Ellie goes searching for Anna on a portion of the lake where the water has receded and she can walk on the now dry lake bed. When returning to land and going back to her mother's home, she discovers she is now 3 days in the past. In a panic, she returns to the lake and finds Anna, but this is one month in the past when Anna had run off before. It turns out that Caddo Lake has a time displacement phenomenon that activates when water levels drop. Ellie goes back to the lake again in the hope of finding Anna a second time.

Meanwhile, Paris is attempting to find out what caused his mother to have a seizure and drive off the bridge. Paris works dredging the lake and one day he has an odd experience where he sees footprints on the dry part of the lake and he loses his hearing. When he returns to his boat, he finds a necklace stuck in the motor. It is the necklace his mother owned. Paris's former girlfriend returns and they rekindle their relationship but she doubts his story about there being a mystery of the lake.

The stories converge when Paris returns to the lake and goes through portals that take him to 1952. There he finds a wounded Anna and gets her help before attempting to get back to his own time, 2003. Instead, he ends up in 2022, Ellie's time.

Meanwhile, Ellie travels to 2005 and when she is in a grocery store parking lot, she sees a necklace hanging on a car mirror that matches her own mother's necklace. It was a necklace that Anna was wearing when she went missing. She breaks into the car to get the necklace and the car's owner arrives and attacks her, trying to get the necklace back. Ellie asks where the necklace came from and the woman says it belonged to her missing boyfriend's mother, Anna Lang. Ellie realizes the woman she is talking to is her own mother, Celeste, and the baby Celeste is holding is herself. Ellie runs off and finds an internet cafe. By looking up Anna Lang and looking at old photos, she realizes that her step-sister Anna is actually her grandmother. She goes back to the lake to return home.

Meanwhile, in 2022, Paris is found in Ellie's boat, which she had tied up before traveling to the past. He is arrested as a suspect in Anna's disappearance. He sees a news report with a photo of Anna and realizes the girl he saved in the past was his own mother. He escapes from the police but drowns while trying to return to portal home. Ellie returns to 2022 and realizes the stepfather she has been fighting with is actually her great grandfather. She returns home to find her mother, in shock, watching a news report about Paris's escape and death. There is a photo of Paris and the authorities are asking for help identifying him. Ellie shows Anna's school picture from 1952 and embraces her mom, explaining that neither Anna nor Paris meant to leave them.

Cast

Production

Caddo Lake is a thriller film written and directed by filmmaking duo Celine Held and Logan George. In August 2021, Dylan O'Brien and Eliza Scanlen were in talks to star in the film, then titled Vanishings, [2] and a casting call was released, revealing M. Night Shyamalan would produce under his production company Blinding Edge Pictures. [3] By October 2021, O'Brien and Scanlen were set to star in the film, which had been retitled to The Vanishings at Caddo Lake, and Lauren Ambrose, Eric Lange, Sam Hennings, and Diana Hopper had joined the cast, with filming beginning on October 4 in Shreveport, Louisiana. [4] [5] Held and George sought 1998–2004 period-specific vehicles from locals in order to produce an authentic feel to the story's community. [6] Filming wrapped on November 18, 2021. [1] By May 2023, the title was shortened to Caddo Lake. [7]

Release

Caddo Lake was released on Max on October 10, 2024. [8]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 81% of 32 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.3/10.The website's consensus reads: "A windingly intricate and delirious sci-fi thrill ride washes over the senses and steadily flows through Caddo Lake." [9] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 55 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. [10] [11]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Sixth Sense</i> 1999 film by M. Night Shyamalan

The Sixth Sense is a 1999 American psychological thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It stars Bruce Willis as a child psychologist whose patient claims he can see and talk to the dead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M. Night Shyamalan</span> American filmmaker (born 1970)

Manoj Nelliyattu "M. Night" Shyamalan is an American filmmaker. His films often employ supernatural plots and twist endings. The cumulative gross of his films exceeds $3.3 billion globally. Shyamalan has received various accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards and a Golden Globe.

The year 1999 in film included Stanley Kubrick's posthumous final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, the science-fiction film The Matrix, the animated works The Iron Giant, Toy Story 2, Tarzan, and South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, the Best Picture-winner American Beauty, and the well-received The Green Mile. Other noteworthy releases include M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense, David Fincher's Fight Club, Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides, Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia and Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman's Being John Malkovich. The year also featured George Lucas' top-grossing Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Columbia Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer celebrated their 75th anniversaries in 1999.

<i>16 Wishes</i> TV film

16 Wishes is a 2010 teen fantasy-comedy television film directed by Peter DeLuise and written by Annie DeYoung, starring Debby Ryan and Jean-Luc Bilodeau. It premiered on June 25, 2010, on Disney Channel in the United States and on July 16, 2010, on Family Channel in Canada. The film was the most watched cable program on the day of its premiere on Disney Channel. In addition, 16 Wishes introduced Ryan to new audiences, such as the contemporary adult audiences since the movie received high viewership in the adults demographic (18–34). The film was the second most watched program on cable during the week of its premiere.

<i>Devil</i> (2010 film) 2010 film by John Erick Dowdle

Devil is a 2010 American supernatural horror film directed by John Erick Dowdle. The screenplay by Brian Nelson was from a story by M. Night Shyamalan. Starring Chris Messina, Logan Marshall-Green, Geoffrey Arend, Bojana Novakovic, Jenny O'Hara, and Bokeem Woodbine, the film revolves around five strangers who become trapped in an elevator. Devil was released on September 17, 2010. Critics praised the film's atmosphere and performances, but criticized the short running-time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dylan O'Brien</span> American actor (born 1991)

Dylan Rhodes O'Brien is an American actor. His first major role was as Stiles Stilinski in the MTV supernatural series Teen Wolf (2011–2017). He achieved further prominence for his lead role in the science fiction Maze Runner trilogy (2014–2018), which led to more film appearances.

<i>Split</i> (2016 American film) Horror thriller film by M. Night Shyamalan

Split is a 2016 American psychological thriller film written, directed and produced by M. Night Shyamalan, and starring James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Betty Buckley. The film follows a man with dissociative identity disorder who kidnaps and imprisons three teenage girls in an isolated underground facility.

<i>Glass</i> (2019 film) 2019 film by M. Night Shyamalan

Glass is a 2019 American superhero thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It is a crossover and sequel to Shyamalan's previous films Unbreakable (2000) and Split (2016) and the third and final installment in the Unbreakable trilogy. Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Spencer Treat Clark, and Charlayne Woodard reprise their Unbreakable roles, while James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy return as their Split characters, with Sarah Paulson, Adam David Thompson, and Luke Kirby joining the cast. The film sees David Dunn / The Overseer as he and Kevin Wendell Crumb / The Horde are captured and placed in a psychiatric facility with Elijah Price / Mr. Glass, where they contemplate the authenticity of their superhuman powers.

<i>The Curse of La Llorona</i> 2019 film by Michael Chaves

The Curse of La Llorona is a 2019 American supernatural horror film directed by Michael Chaves, in his feature directorial debut, and written by Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis. Based on the Latin American folklore of La Llorona, the film stars Linda Cardellini, Raymond Cruz, and Patricia Velásquez, and follows a mother in 1973 Los Angeles who must save her children from a malevolent spirit trying to steal them. The film was produced by James Wan through his Atomic Monster banner and, though not considered an installment in the franchise, takes place within The Conjuring Universe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eliza Scanlen</span> Australian actress (born 1999)

Eliza Jane Scanlen is an Australian actress. She rose to prominence portraying Tabitha Ford in the Australian soap opera Home and Away (2016), before receiving critical acclaim for playing a troubled teenager in the HBO miniseries Sharp Objects (2018).

<i>Babyteeth</i> (film) 2019 film

Babyteeth is a 2019 Australian coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Shannon Murphy from a screenplay by Rita Kalnejais, based upon her stage play of the same name. It stars Eliza Scanlen, Toby Wallace, Emily Barclay, Eugene Gilfedder, Essie Davis, and Ben Mendelsohn. The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on 4 September 2019. It was released in Australia on 23 July 2020 by Universal Pictures and won nine AACTA awards, including Best Film.

<i>Old</i> (film) 2021 film by M. Night Shyamalan

Old is a 2021 American horror mystery film written for the screen, directed, and produced by M. Night Shyamalan. It is based on the French-language Swiss graphic novel Sandcastle by Pierre Oscar Lévy and Frederik Peeters. The film features an ensemble cast consisting of Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Rufus Sewell, Alex Wolff, Thomasin McKenzie, Abbey Lee, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Ken Leung, Eliza Scanlen, Aaron Pierre, Embeth Davidtz, and Emun Elliott. The plot follows a group of people who find themselves aging rapidly on a secluded beach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Pierre (actor)</span> English actor (born 1994)

Aaron Stone Pierre is an English actor. After training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Pierre gained recognition for his role as Dev-Em in the science fiction series Krypton (2018–2019). He has since starred in the period drama miniseries The Underground Railroad (2021), the thriller films Old (2021) and Rebel Ridge (2024), and the biographical miniseries Genius (2024) in which he portrayed Malcolm X.

Celine Held is an American and British film director, writer, and actress. Her debut feature film Topside, co-directed with her partner Logan George, premiered at the 77th Venice International Film Festival. Her short film Caroline that she co-wrote, co-directed and starred in, was nominated for the Short Film Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. Her additional short film work has premiered at Sundance Film Festival and at South by Southwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M. Night Shyamalan filmography</span>

Indian-American filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan began his career in 1992 with the student film Praying with Anger, which he wrote, directed, produced, and starred in. He then wrote the screenplays for the comedy movies Wide Awake and Stuart Little (1999). In 1999, he rose to prominence for writing and directing the supernatural movie The Sixth Sense, for which he received Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. He then wrote, directed, and produced the superhero movie Unbreakable, the first entry in the Eastrail 177 Trilogy followed by Split in 2016 and Glass in 2019.

Logan George is an American film director, writer, and editor. George works exclusively with his partner, Celine Held, as a co-writer and co-director. His debut feature film Topside premiered at the 77th Venice International Film Festival. His short film work has been nominated for the Short Film Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, and has premiered at Sundance Film Festival and Telluride Film Festival.

<i>Trap</i> (2024 film) Film by M. Night Shyamalan

Trap is a 2024 American psychological thriller film written, directed, and produced by M. Night Shyamalan. Starring Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Night Shyamalan, Hayley Mills, and Alison Pill, it follows a serial killer evading a police blockade while attending a concert with his daughter. The film was shot in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, in late 2023. It premiered in New York City on July 24, 2024, and was theatrically released in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures on August 2, 2024. It received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $82.7 million worldwide on a $30 million production budget.

<i>The Watchers</i> (film) 2024 film by Ishana Night Shyamalan

The Watchers is a 2024 American supernatural horror fantasy film written for the screen and directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan in her directorial debut, produced by M. Night Shyamalan, and based on the 2021 novel by A. M. Shine. It stars Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouéré and Oliver Finnegan, and follows Mina, a 28-year-old artist who becomes trapped in a vast, untouched forest in the west of Ireland. Seeking shelter, she becomes trapped alongside three strangers who are stalked by mysterious creatures every night.

References

  1. 1 2 "Film and TV Projects Going Into Production: The Vanishings at Caddo Lake". Variety Insight . November 22, 2021. Archived from the original on November 27, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  2. Fisher, Jacob (August 18, 2021). "Dylan O'Brien and Eliza Scanlen in talks to star in 'Vanishings'". DiscussingFilm. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  3. Veigel, Wyndi (August 22, 2021). "Film to be shot at Caddo Lake sets casting call for local talent". Longview News-Journal . Archived from the original on October 4, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  4. Kroll, Justin (October 4, 2021). "M. Night Shyamalan's Blinding Edge Pictures To Produce 'Vanishings At Caddo Lake' From Directing Duo Celine Held And Logan George". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on October 4, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  5. Shyamalan, M. Night (October 4, 2021). Today, the shooting begins on 'The Vanishings at Caddo Lake'. It's a film written and directed by Celine Held & Logan George. They are the most lovely couple who wrote a mind-bending emotional thriller. I believe in it. I am funding it. Hopefully one day you all will see it . Retrieved October 5, 2021 via Twitter.
  6. Boucher, Makenzie (October 21, 2021). "Caddo Lake Film is looking for extras and period-specific cars". Shreveport Times . Archived from the original on November 2, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  7. Squires, John (May 25, 2023). "'Caddo Lake' – M. Night Shyamalan-Produced Thriller Rated PG-13 for "Disturbing/Bloody Images"". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  8. Grobar, Matt (September 5, 2024). "Max Unveils Premiere Date, Teaser For Thriller 'Caddo Lake' Produced By M. Night Shyamalan". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  9. "Caddo Lake". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved October 17, 2024. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  10. "Caddo Lake". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  11. "Caddo Lake (2024)". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved October 11, 2024.