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Timeline

The Lodge (2020) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2020 · 108 min · English
Echo score 60
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Directed by
Severin Fiala, Veronika Franz
Starring
Lia McHugh, Riley Keough, Jaeden Lieberher, Alicia Silverstone, Richard Armitage, Alexandre Bélanger

During a winter storm, a family retreats to a remote lodge, hoping to heal from past traumas. However, when the parents abruptly leave, the children are left in the care of their mother’s girlfriend, Grace. As the storm intensifies and the isolation deepens, unsettling events begin to unfold, forcing them to confront Grace's mysterious past and the lingering darkness that threatens to consume them all.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (15)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like The Lodge
  6. 6 Every angle
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15 events in order · contains spoilers

The Lodge Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of The Lodge (2020) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Laura's Heartbreak

    Laura Hall finds herself in an emotionally devastating situation as she separates from her husband, Richard. The news of Richard's intention to marry Grace Marshall pushes Laura towards despair, culminating in her tragic decision to take her own life.

  2. The Children Grieve

    Following their mother's death, Aidan and Mia are plunged into deep grief. They struggle to navigate their emotions and the implications of their father's new relationship with Grace, further complicating their mourning process.

  3. Thanksgiving Announcement

    Six months after Laura's death, Richard makes a controversial announcement during Thanksgiving. He informs Aidan and Mia that they will be spending Christmas with Grace at their lodge in rural western Massachusetts, provoking feelings of anger and betrayal in the children.

    When
    Six months after Laura's death
    Where
    Thanksgiving dinner
  4. Arrival at the Lodge

    The family arrives at the secluded lodge, and the Catholic symbols within evoke painful memories for Grace. This setting serves as a catalyst for a growing sense of dread and discomfort for everyone, especially Grace, who is haunted by her past.

    Where
    Lodge in rural western Massachusetts
  5. Moment of Comfort

    During a tense night, a brief attempt at normalcy is found when Aidan prepares cocoa for Grace and Mia while watching a movie. This fleeting moment of comfort highlights the strain in their relationships, hinting at the turmoil beneath the surface.

    Where
    Lodge
  6. The Nightmare Unfolds

    Things take a turn for the worse when Grace awakens to find her belongings and food missing, heightening her confusion. Aidan's revelation of a terrifying dream about the gas heater malfunction hints at their entrapment in a nightmare scenario.

    When
    January 9th
    Where
    Lodge
  7. Grace's Struggles Intensify

    As the days pass, Grace's anxiety escalates, compounded by her withdrawal from medication. She experiences sleepwalking and vivid hallucinations, which are hauntingly tied to her father's fundamentalist sermons, further shattering her mental state.

    Where
    Lodge
  8. Desperate Search

    In a frantic attempt to escape, Grace tries to reach the nearest town but becomes perpetually lost. During her haunting journey, she discovers a chilling photo of Aidan and Mia, coupled with unsettling evidence that suggests they may have met a tragic end.

    Where
    Surrounding woods
  9. Aidan's Attempt at Proof

    Driven to hysteria, Aidan makes a dangerous attempt to prove their demise by hanging himself in the attic. His survival shocks everyone and exacerbates the already tense and unstable environment, pushing Grace further into madness.

    Where
    Attic of the lodge
  10. Confrontation with Reality

    Grace confronts the lifeless body of her dog, a moment that serves as a stark reminder of her unraveling mental state. This confrontation propels her into a desperate reality as her grip on sanity begins to fade.

    Where
    Lodge
  11. The Deception Revealed

    Aidan and Mia's confession of their elaborate deception comes to light, exposing their cruel schemes to torment Grace. They meticulously hide their devices, leading Grace to believe she is losing her mind in a twisted game of manipulation.

    Where
    Lodge
  12. Children's Escape Attempt

    As tensions mount, Aidan and Mia try to escape from Grace's wrath, which has intensified due to their incessant gaslighting. Their attempts lead to a frantic and desperate struggle as they face their delusional stepmother.

    Where
    Lodge
  13. Richard's Return

    Richard returns to the lodge, only to find the situation has escalated into chaos. His presence triggers a chilling climax where Grace's delusions culminate in a horrific confrontation, dramatically shifting the dynamics of the family.

    Where
    Lodge
  14. Grace's Final Act

    Consumed by a belief in a purgatorial fate, Grace commits a horrifying act against Richard. This tragic climax leaves Aidan and Mia vulnerable and at her mercy, plunging them deeper into a desolate psychological horror.

    Where
    Lodge
  15. A Hellish New Reality

    With Grace spiraled into madness, Aidan and Mia must navigate the remnants of their shattered family and their twisted new reality. Isolated and terrified, they are forced to confront the consequences of their actions and the dark fate that awaits them.

    Where
    Lodge

Last updated: November 07, 2024 at 23:40

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Timeline questions answered

The Lodge Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of The Lodge (2020): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why did Laura take her own life in The Lodge?

Laura Hall commits suicide after learning that her ex-husband Richard intends to marry Grace Marshall. The devastating news about Richard's new relationship, combined with the emotional turmoil of her separation, becomes overwhelming for Laura, leading her to tragically end her life.

  • laura hall
  • suicide
  • richard armitage
  • grace marshall
Q2

What is Grace's backstory in The Lodge?

Grace Marshall is the sole survivor of a mass suicide orchestrated by her father Aaron, a fundamentalist Christian cult leader. She escaped the tragedy as a child but carries deep psychological trauma from the experience, which resurfaces when Catholic imagery at the lodge triggers painful memories.

  • grace marshall
  • cult
  • aaron
  • mass suicide
  • survivor
Q3

Why do Aidan and Mia torment Grace in The Lodge?

Aidan and Mia deliberately orchestrate a campaign of psychological torture against Grace because they blame her for their mother's death. They resent that their father moved on so quickly and view Grace as the reason their family was destroyed, so they conspire to drive her insane.

  • aidan
  • mia
  • gaslighting
  • torture
  • children
Q4

How did the children fake the supernatural events in The Lodge?

The children systematically dismantled Grace's reality by hiding her belongings, removing food, moving clocks forward to January 9th, and using recorded audio of her father's sermons to trigger hallucinations. They concealed their phones and devices to make it appear she was losing her mind.

Foreshadowing: The moment Aidan prepares cocoa while Grace sleeps plants the seed of their later deception.

  • deception
  • fake
  • supernatural
  • gaslighting
  • devices
Q5

What happens to Richard at the end of The Lodge?

When Richard returns to the lodge, Grace, now fully convinced they are trapped in purgatory, shoots and kills him. She then turns the gun on the children, leaving Aidan and Mia at her mercy in the isolated lodge.

  • richard
  • death
  • ending
  • grace
  • shooting
Q6

Are the supernatural events in The Lodge real or is it purgatory?

The supernatural elements are not real, they are part of the children's elaborate hoax designed to manipulate Grace. However, the film leaves ambiguity about whether the final killing spree actually occurs or represents some kind of shared delusion or afterlife state.

  • purgatory
  • afterlife
  • supernatural
  • real
  • ending
Q7

Why does Grace's mental state deteriorate in The Lodge?

Grace is struggling with anxiety and has stopped taking her medication, which compounds her existing trauma from surviving her father's cult. The isolation, Catholic symbols, and the children's gaslighting trigger sleepwalking, vivid hallucinations of her father's sermons, and a complete psychological breakdown.

  • medication
  • withdrawal
  • anxiety
  • hallucinations
  • breakdown
Q8

What is the significance of January 9th in The Lodge?

The children manipulate the clocks to display January 9th, making Grace believe she has been trapped in a time loop or supernatural scenario for days. This date reinforces her belief that they are dead and trapped in purgatory.

  • january 9th
  • clocks
  • date
  • time loop
Q9

Why does Aidan try to hang himself in The Lodge?

Aidan, desperate to prove they are actually dead and trapped in an afterlife, attempts to hang himself in the attic. When he survives, it further convinces him and Mia that they exist in some kind of supernatural realm where death has no consequence.

  • aidan
  • hang
  • attic
  • suicide attempt
  • proof
Q10

What are the sermons Grace hears in The Lodge?

Grace hears recorded sermons from her father Aaron, the cult leader who orchestrated the mass suicide that killed her mother and siblings. The children use these recordings to manipulate her, causing traumatic flashbacks to her childhood and intensifying her delusions.

  • aaron
  • sermons
  • father
  • recordings
  • cult
Q11

What happens to Grace's dog in The Lodge?

Grace discovers her dog Claude dead in the freezer, a traumatic event that pushes her further into madness. This cruel act by the children is designed to break her grip on reality and intensify her psychological unraveling.

  • claude
  • dog
  • dead
  • freezer

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Lodge, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes The Lodge tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Claustrophobic psychological thrillers like The Lodge

Stories where isolation and manipulation break down reality and sanity. If you liked the intense, snowbound dread of The Lodge, this list features movies with similar settings of extreme isolation and psychological manipulation. Discover other slow-burn horror and thriller stories where characters are trapped, both physically and mentally, leading to a terrifying unraveling of the truth.

  • claustrophobic
  • paranoid
  • unsettling
  • anxious
  • psychological
  • oppressive
  • Tone: dark, tense, paranoid
  • Pacing: slow burn, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves characters being cut off from the outside world, making them vulnerable to a manipulative force—be it another person, a supernatural presence, or their own trauma. The plot revolves around a gaslighting scheme or a gradual psychological breakdown, where the line between perception and reality blurs until a devastating, often bleak, truth is revealed.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on intense, claustrophobic settings and narratives centered on psychological manipulation. They create a specific, oppressive viewing experience defined by high tension, a slow build of dread, and a deep dive into the fragility of the human mind under pressure.

Bleak family trauma horror movies like The Lodge

Horror stories where grief and past trauma poison family bonds. For viewers who appreciated the heavy emotional weight and exploration of grief in The Lodge, this section curates similar horror dramas. Find movies that blend family drama with psychological horror, focusing on themes of loss, suicide, and the devastating impact of past traumas that lead to bleak, hopeless endings.

  • desolate
  • tragic
  • heavy
  • disturbing
  • grief-stricken
  • unsettling
  • Tone: dark, bleak, tragic
  • Pacing: slow, atmospheric
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a family, or a family-like unit, already fractured by a significant loss or secret. The horror emerges as a direct consequence of this trauma, manifesting as hauntings, possessions, or psychological disintegration. The story arc is a downward spiral, confronting the characters with their pain in a way that ultimately destroys rather than saves them.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their core thematic focus on family trauma as the engine of horror. They share a consistently dark tone, heavy emotional weight, and a preference for bleak endings that offer no catharsis, creating a specific subset of horror that is more about emotional devastation than simple scares.

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Movies Like The Lodge

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Every angle

The Lodge (2020) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Lodge in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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