Caddo Lake

Now this may not be a great movie but it's definitely a good one. And once all is revealed highly original. I did guess it before ( after a couple of clues ) I knew the whole story but that didn't ruin the good twists toward the end. Two stories run parallel to each other and both get better and better. As many have said the movie starts of slow and uninteresting. During the first half hour my wife kept asking me what the heck the movie is about but after a couple of plot reveals the story tightens and weaves to come together in the end. O'Brian as always does a good job and is helped by an earnest supporting cast. Pacing also picks up in the second half. As aforementioned stick with it and you should enjoy it as much as we did.

I went into this knowing nothing about this movie, except the genre. I am glad that that was the case! I had no expectations and was able to just let the plot unfold and experience the discovery right along with the protagonists. I really enjoyed it. If it's not too late, I'd recommend not reading the plot summary or any detailed reviews before watching.

It starts out feeling a bit like a family drama but pay attention because sprinkled throughout are little plot supporting elements. You might even reach a point where you'll be wondering just what in the world is going on. Don't worry... it's all explained fairly neatly before it's done. Just hang in there!

I thought it was a nice movie! And I might watch it a second time to see if I missed anything. Don't read spoilers for the best way of viewing!

It starts slow, but the story builds up nicely and the writers made clever decisions. At a certain point I made some wild guesses about where the story was moving towards. And while I was wrong, the things that made me make those wild guesses were immediately answered in the film. In the end the story wraps up perfectly and doesn't leave any big parts open or unanswered. That's always a nice thing, if you ask me.

Acting is mostly great and the special effects were fine. The music did not leave a lasting effect, but it worked ok.

Well it's obvious that the makers of Caddo Lake were inspired by the excellent German series Dark. Nothing wrong with that but to me it looked a bit like a déjà-vu. I still enjoyed watching it though. There is a good mysterious vibe to it and that keeps you interested in the story. But like the series Dark it's also very difficult to understand, you'll have to think deeply about it and then certain things might not look plausible or making sense. The acting was good, better than average, and so was the cinematography. All in all an interesting movie but if you look for something longer and better the German show is what you want.

Once you figure out what's going on, the story itself after the fact isn't exactly groundbreaking. However, the way they pull it off is pretty impressive. I don't think people consider enough the degree of coordination that's required to apply pacing and tone in any given film, especially when you throw in special effects and lighting potentially dependent on time of day. This movie does all of it pretty flawlessly, and creates an almost tactile momentum that carries you through. While I wasn't surprised it ended when it did, not once was I looking for it or had it in mind until it was over. That's usually a clear mark of competence for storytelling. The final scene did feel a bit empty, though, for reasons I can't quite explain. Maybe a clearer angle of a final, knowing look from Celeste would have remedied this, but that's just a stray thought, not genuine criticism.

Acting was spot on for everyone involved. Dylan O'Brien is something of a standout. I've seen his work before but this one really let him shine. Lauren Ambrose also completely sells the manic/distressed persona and just became this person. Eliza Scanlen not once failed to sell me what was happening on-screen. Talents like these make it so much easier to lose yourself in whatever is being shown and it's always appreciated.

Great watch. Adept filmmakers on display and I'm here for it.