With their haunting, expertly-made psychological thriller The Lodge, the Austrian filmmaking team of Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz prove that Goodnight Mommy (2014) was no fluke.

A spot-on metaphor for a stepmother’s impact on a family, especially when she comes with considerable baggage, the film doubles as a damn fine Christmas movie and might have benefitted from a release date closer to the holidays. But dropped in late February, it’s also a savior for what’s been a pretty miserable 2020 horror slate, one defined by incompetency (The Grudge; Color Out of Space; Underwater), botched endings (The Turning; Brahms: The Boy II), and style over substance (Gretel & Hansel).

Beyond its exquisite craftsmanship and viscous tension, The Lodge’s primary asset is that anything seems possible, especially in the wake of a shocking act of violence committed by a distraught Laura (Alicia Silverstone) after her husband Richard (Richard Armitage, The Hobbit) asks to finalize their divorce.

Grace, the new woman in his life, is considered nothing more than a home-wrecker by Laura and their children Aiden (Jaeden Martell, It Chapter Two) and Mia (Lia McHugh), and her mere presence is unwanted — to the point that we only see her (or what may just be an apparition) in fleeting moments at Richard’s house.

The mystery surrounding her grows upon discovering that she was a subject of Richard’s book on religious cults and was chosen to carry on the teachings of her father’s doomsday group. Haunting video footage of her as a young girl, discovering her fellow congregants post-suicide, adds to her wild-card status and lingering capacity for evil. And when her face — Hi, Riley Keough (Logan Lucky)! — is finally revealed when she climbs into Richard’s Jeep, there’s genuine concern for the safety of her future step-children as the family-to-be becomes better acquainted (Grace’s idea, no less) at Richard’s remote cabin prior to Santa’s visit.

Left on their own while Richard heads back to “the city” for work, Aiden and Mia are frosty toward Grace and her ambiguous but seemingly kind actions, while the isolation, dependency on medication — to keep her from losing her mind? — and potential triggers from Laura’s religious iconography around the house push the dynamic to a breaking point.

When it indeed snaps, it’s in yet another unforeseen manner, though one that brilliantly plays with the hopes and fears established in the preceding acts. As scratchy violins from the original score pick away at Grace’s sanity — propelling Keough to career-best work while she ably carries the film — The Lodge plays with “the boy who cried wolf” themes, the lingering effects of an extreme religious upbringing, and incorporates Hereditary-like dollhouse scenes that creepily foreshadow events while building even thicker suspense.

The remote setting, further complicated by a blizzard, recalls Stephen King’s The Shining and Misery, and additional influences gradually arise, but throughout its captivating run, The Lodge remains firmly its own movie and the one to beat thus far this year.

Grade: A-minus. Rated R. Now playing at Carolina Cinemark

(Photo: Neon)