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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
The Shyamalans are not done with 2024, and their family production company’s newest project, Caddo Lake, starring Dylan O’Brien is Blinding Edge’s most ambitious narrative since this past August’s Trap. This drama mystery thriller is a surprise title to the Shyamalan family’s filmography catalog, with M. Night having entered production as a producer in mid-to-late 2021. All that dedicated movie-going fans know of is the first official image released last month along with a teaser for the film. Outside of that, most people know little of what to expect…but wait no further. After screening the film early twice, I can surely say this is worth watching during the spooky season. While it doesn’t come off as a horror narrative, Caddo Lake‘s plot is the result of dedicated genre lovers being students of the Shyamalan narrative formula.
Caddo Lake is co-written and co-directed by Celine Held and Logan George.
In this review, I will discuss Caddo Lake. As this article’s title suggests, no spoilers will be present.
NOTE: Spoiler language was sent to the writer and editor of this piece beforehand by public relations representatives. The following writing in this article does not touch upon explicit details regarding narrative and character development.
Caddo Lake Logline
According to Warner Bros. Discovery Press, here is the official logline for Celine Held and Logan George’s drama mystery thriller film, Caddo Lake.
When an eight-year-old girl mysteriously vanishes, a series of past deaths and disappearances start to link together, forever altering a broken family’s history.
Warner Bros. Discovery Press
Discussion
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My overall thoughts of Caddo Lake are based on sentiments after the first watch and how the second watch changed my overall outlook. Held and George have a slow start with the pacing of their film. Although, that’s if you pay no mind to the subtle minutiae sprinkled into the narrative. What appears to give it a gradual pace is its refusal to take any huge swings before the body of Elizabeth “Ellie” Lang’s (Eliza Scanlen) stepsister, Anna Bennett (Caroline Falk), is found. The first act—and by extension, the former half of the film—asserts a stagnation that only the required in-plot reasoning can justify.
As a feat in screenwriting, the parameters of rhetoric are tackled intelligently. Both the ethos (character) and the pathos (emotion) are divided upon its lead and supporting figures. Meanwhile, the logos (logic and reasoning) are disseminated in the story. The arrangement of events as well as the stylistics in word choice are meticulous in that regard, ultimately adding to the most important aspect, kairos (timing). The co-filmmakers’ screenplay is a strong diachronic three-act structure that may not make any sense in its first act. However, it surely packs a punch once the big reveal is delivered.
Some may argue that it’s predictable, but that’s what happens after seeing works involving Shyamalan for long enough. Still, predictability in a story should not be the sole factor in whether the said story is received as terrible or terrific. Following that second watch, I feel the execution was done nicely. Moreover, dramatic irony is a narrative element that builds layer upon layer on Caddo Lake‘s story. The combination of predictability and irony produces a captivating and intriguing thriller.
Two Halves of the Coin
Held and George’s foreshadowing is genius, e.g. when Ellie buys groceries with Anna and then times her at returning a gallon of milk to its proper aisle. Caddo Lake‘s subtext relies on how much the human brain functions, including the psychological concept of memory and people’s ability to deal with information as they please. What lends the film its diachrony—in other words, phenomena of language, culture, or experiences developed and evolved over time—are the two paralleling perspectives between Ellie and Paris (Dylan O’Brien). The screenplay achieves this well. I haven’t seen the execution of it done as successfully since Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale’s Back to the Future Part II, Stephen King’s It, and Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan’s Westworld.
Caddo Lake focuses on the risk of undergoing change, including how trauma constitutes new meaning in its character. It’s uncanny to see Ellie at the end of her rope and urged into repeating history for the sake of peace between her and her family. Likewise, Paris walks the fine line between clarity and mystery but falls into trouble.
The Triple Entendre of the Film’s Central Symbol
Cancer plays a clever role in Held and George’s screenwriting. On the one hand, there is the Cancer zodiac sign necklace (69) serving as a minor McGuffin. People born under this zodiac sign are described as nurturing and loyal. Yet, they are also looked down upon as emotionally sensitive. Caddo Lake exploits this in one or more characters, and it’s a praiseworthy element seen to the end. Cancer signs are also referred to as “Water Signs”. Water plays a large role in the film as it is what gives the titular lake its physical and natural power. Because of that, the lake can be treated as the narrative antagonist, whereas the function of its water defines the conflict and its impact on the characters.
As an ailment, cancer also plays a role in Paris’s father, Benjamin (Sam Hennings), who is inflicted with a sickness. It could be implied that he has cancer or some sort of respiratory issue. Although, that is just my guess on the matter. The film highlights how diseases such as cancer and seizures are passed down from one person to their descendants. Again, this element is integral to the theme of trauma and the change in meaning amongst the main characters. On a second watch, it’s interesting to see where the genetic susceptibility to seizure comes from and how that translates to the larger picture.
Bringing Caddo Lake to Life
Music composer David Baloche’s soundtrack helps drive the plot forward, with its mysterious swampy score at the beginning—which instantly drops the viewer into tragedy—and again when Ellie is forced to reflect on her past. The music has its moments, especially the riveting instrumental when Paris flees from the police en route to the lake. Imagine the Wachowski sisters’ The Matrix but if it took place in Texas; it’s just an enjoyable thing to hear.
Production designer Debbie DeVilla et al’s set pieces are stellar work. Celeste’s household is a perfect and incredibly subtle example of the narrative exhibiting diachrony. Its foundation truly lies with Celeste as a mother and her ability to build a life. This particular set piece is merit-worthy as if a character all on its own, permitting actors to play house and the different affairs that can take place. Moreover, I love the chase sequences that Paris engages in such as the brief boat chase and then the foot chase and rainy car chase where he is immediately implicated as a suspect in a missing person’s case.
Logan George and Loren Jackson’s editing is flawless, such as in the match cut of Paris exiting one door and Ellie entering Anna’s bedroom through another. If there is any inclination to take huge swings, then it would be the co-filmmaker’s ballsy ability to present diachrony, switching back and forth between Ellie and Paris’s sides of the story. With that said, this could not have been done without director of photography Lowell A. Meyer’s smart camera work—a true guiding force.
The Crew Behind Caddo Lake
Lowell A. Meyer serves as the film’s director of photography.
Eliot Brasseaux is the stills photographer. Ian S. Takahashi is the underwater director of photography.
Logan George serves as the editor. Loren Jackson serves as the assistant editor.
David Baloche scores the music for the soundtrack. Dylan Neely (I Tonya, The Farewell, Old, Knock at the Cabin, Babes, Trap) serves as the music supervisor.
David Forshee serves as both the supervising sound editor and the re-recording mixer.
Jon Flores is the dialogue editor. Nora Linde serves as the assistant sound editor.
Rebecca Dealy serves as the casting director. Rebecca Birstock is the casting associate.
Jesse Michael Owen serves as the storyboard artist.
Manny Siverio serves as the film’s stunt coordinator.
Spencer Barnes and Tom Caserto play the Paris stunt doubles. Alyssa Galpin plays the Ellie stunt double.
Ashley Hudson plays the Celeste stunt double.
Chris Barnes serves as the stunt truck driver. Spencer Barnes serves as the stunt driver.
Gary Lowe serves as the Marine coordinator. Jim Mayo serves as the additional Marine coordinator.
In the additional photography, Gregg Brazzel serves as the stunt coordinator, while Hannah Hall serves as the intimacy coordinator.
Aesthetics
Debbie DeVilla (Trap) serves as the film’s production designer.
Katherine Fleming serves as the art director. Angela Schroeder serves as the set decorator.
Begoña Berges (Bones and All, Joker: Folie à Deux) serves as the costume designer. Nicole Rauscher is the assistant costume designer.
Ashley Kent serves as the makeup department head.
Melissa Stryker is the key makeup artist. Erica Dunn is the additional makeup artist.
Chelsea Barber serves as the hair department head.
Tim Blackburn is the key hairstylist. Tracie Harper and Cynthia Teddie are the additional hairstylists.
In the additional photography, Pamela May is the hair department head, while Stryker is the makeup department head.
The Cast of Caddo Lake
Dylan O’Brien (Teen Wolf, the Maze Runner film series, Love and Monsters) portrays Paris, a man grieving the recent loss of his mother.
Eliza Scanlen (Little Women, Old, The Starling Girl) portrays Elizabeth “Ellie” Lang, a young woman set with her own visions for the future.
Lauren Ambrose (Servant, Yellowjackets) portrays Celeste, Ellie’s mother. Diana Hopper plays Cee, Paris’s love interest.
Caroline Falk portrays Anna Bennett, Ellie’s step-sister and more. Eric Lange portrays Daniel Bennett, Ellie’s stepfather and Celeste’s husband, and more.
Sam Hennings plays Benjamin, Paris’s father.
Dave Baldonado plays Sheriff Mark Tanner.
Zedrick “Zed” Tinsley plays Zed, Paris’s colleague employed under Benjamin.
Gina Limbrick appears as Paris’s mother.
Jules Hilillo Fernandez appears as Claire, Ellie’s friend.
Lance E. Nichols plays Dr. Mitchell.
Greysen Conley plays Cavin. Elizabeth Feliciano plays Lizzie.
At a Bennett family gathering, Margaret A. Rolfs plays a grandmother, D’Keyvin Cook plays cousin, Jim Hancock plays Uncle Jim, Shelly Blue plays Great Aunt Sue, and Hunter Throckmorton plays Uncle Tommy.
Jaravian “Jay” Howard plays a cashier.
Performances and Character Developments
Ambrose’s role as Celeste is poignant, and her dynamic with Scanlen’s Ellie is a rocky relationship between mother and daughter. A profound amount of the character’s line deliveries toward the younger character comprise the film’s major rhetorical appeal to pathos. It hurts even worse upon seeing it play out on a second watch. Through the mother figure, pain is a tangible feeling to have for someone with huge losses in her life. As it appears, Ambrose’s emotional performance merely depends on whether Ellie can meet her halfway on matters, and most times they do not. If anything, the actor gives me all the more reason to rewatch Yellowjackets Season 2 and finally get around to seeing Servant.
I wasn’t paying Lange too much attention in my first watch. However, when I focused on the interactions during my second watch, I felt that Daniel Bennett fit the description of a Cancer sign as Celeste does. When speaking with the local authorities about his daughter being missing, Lange channels fear into his character of Anna being in danger, either kidnapped or hurt. The character serves as a great wedge in Ellie and Celeste’s familial dispute, trying to be a much-needed father figure to both his biological daughter and stepdaughter. What can be appreciated about Lange is his genuine portrayal of ethos and his desire to be the better parental figure.
Dylan O’Brien and Eliza Scanlen as the Lead Protagonists
O’Brien performs well as Paris, a man with a deep connection to his mother. At first, I interpreted his insistence on her being misdiagnosed as him being a conspiracy theorist against the medical field. Thankfully, that is not what he turned out to be, and the film could have veered into total anti-vaccination territory. Like Ellie, Paris has his sights set on the future but often hurdles through obstacles tied to the larger conflict, i.e. the conspiracy of his mother’s recent passing. It’s a race against time for Paris to find a healthy closure for both him and his father, therefore it’s perhaps the film’s most intense subplot.
Compared with Lange, O’Brien doesn’t carry as much ethos yet delivers excellently once his side of the mystery is resolved. He also takes on a role that I’m not used to seeing him in yet—and I say after having seen Love and Monsters earlier this summer.
Scanlen’s performance as a young woman desperate to know about her family roots is instrumental to Caddo Lake. At the same time, her search for her younger stepsister contributes to the vaster suspense of uncovering the secrets of the lake. The actor’s tears of sorrow and tears of pain can hit home for the right viewer, and I believe Scanlen shows promise in what she brings to the table. Where O’Brien maintains a body of perseverance, Scanlen contains resilience throughout her scenes in the film. Ellie’s dynamic with Daniel isn’t the best but it pays off well by the end.
Final Thoughts on Caddo Lake
Caddo Lake is a film centered on generational trauma, its fractures within a domestic setting, and how our family trees might be more intricate than we may come to learn. IMDb and Wikipedia classify this film under the drama, mystery, and thriller genres. It isn’t classified as a horror as I had assumed—based on the title and the teaser, I thought this would be about a killer crocodile let loose in a swamp—, but it impresses me more as a modern Gothic narrative, not to mention there is one genre classification that is left out.
Needless to say, Celine Held and Logan George employ these genres in a manner that reflects Shyamalan’s influential storytelling abilities. Their film is absolutely astonishing, especially for someone like myself who finds pleasure in certain genre narration. It’s a shame that this could not screen in theaters because I do see the potential in it doing fantastically at the box office, especially with the renowned star power of O’Brien and Ambrose. Overall, expect a perplexing movie at first, then a near-pristine film on second viewing.
4.5/5 stars
Caddo Lake streams via Max starting Thursday, October 10th!
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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
