M. Night Shyamalan certainly has been busy this year pushing out his signature brand of twisty thrillers. So far in 2024 we have had his daughter’s directorial effort, The Watchers, which he produced; the intriguing modest hit Trap, which stars another daughter and which he directed and produced; and now Caddo Lake, which is being heavily advertised as from “Producer M. Night Shyamalan.” Set for a streaming debut on Max starting Thursday rather than going theatrical like the rest of his feature output, the pic unmistakably fits right into his own filmography, even if he turned over writing and directing reins to the team of Celine Held and Logan George.
Actually this one went into production exactly three years ago under the title The Vanishing at Caddo Lake — while Shyamalan still was working his now-wrapped Apple TV+ series Servant, which happens to be a key credit for his filmmakers here — but now as it is finally coming to market that title has been shortened since the original probably gives too much away. Shyamalan is notorious for trying to keep the twists and turns in his plots top secret, and this film lives or dies on not knowing much going in, a bit of a hindrance in staying with the convoluted machinations of its dueling storylines in order to finally get the meat and bones of it all. Max, in fact, supplies no press notes but instead a one-sheet for reviewers warning them not to reveal a host of points around several of the characters, even the period in which it is set. Reading that proves just as complicated as the script.
All that said, this is indeed the baby of Held and George, who became fascinated with the actual Caddo Lake, which sits on the border between Texas and Louisiana. You can see why since it is every bit as spooky and atmospheric as the setting in Cape Fear and provides the perfect locale for a mystery. Still, it takes a while to get to all that.
The story focuses most on a couple of the characters living in the area. One of them is Paris (Dylan O’Brien), who is fixated on the tragic death of his mother due to a car crash into the lake, something he seems completely obsessed in solving for himself, trying to tie his mother’s seizures into a bigger mystery. On another track we meet Ellie (Eliza Scanlen), a spirited teen who is distraught over the disappearance of her father, is in a tense relationship with her mother Celeste (Lauren Ambrose) and is idolized by her 8-year-old stepsister Anna (Caroline Falk). Ellie just wants to get out of this place and often is seen on the lake navigating her motorboat. Trying to keep the peace in the family is her stepfather Daniel (Eric Lange).
When Anna, on her own, bolts out into the lake like her older stepsister does, she goes missing, and everyone sets out on a search that eventually will uncover more than anyone — the characters in this movie and the audience watching them — bargained for.
Beware as this is where all the twists and turns come into play, the paranormal sci-fi elements of Held’s and George’s screenplay, and clearly the plot progression that intrigued Shyamalan enough to throw his money and production company Blinding Edge into making it. There are some false clues along the way, even a suggestion there are very sinister forces lurking in the lake, but it is far more complicated and, well, contrived than what meets the eye. Where it all comes to life is with Scanlen’s determination to get beneath the mystery with a belief this is much more than just about a missing 8-year-old.
You do have to suspend disbelief here, even when some of it doesn’t appear to add up, but Held and George prove unquestionably to be a very promising and skilled filmmaking team, with sharp direction overcoming some of the less compelling aspects of their screenplay. And fortunately they have a dedicated cast led by Scanlen, who worked with Shyamalan in the even more convoluted 2021 film Old and here gives us a true rooting interest and anchor. O’Brien (Teen Wolf, The Maze Runner) gives it his all with an earnest performance that requires a tortured look for most of the running time. Ambrose is also quite fine here, as is young Falk and Lange, the latter with quite a tricky role to pull off. A real star player, though, is the Lowell A. Meyer, whose lush cinematography sets the scene beautifully.
Perhaps the real mystery here is why it has taken three years to get this in front of audiences as it is on a par with much of what Shyamalan puts his name on. The skill of these filmmakers takes a ludicrous family story and makes it work for those who are susceptible for this kind of twisty ride and want to invest the time for its ultimate emotional payoff.
Title: Caddo Lake
Distributor: Max Original; New Line Cinema
Release date: October 10, 2024 (streaming on Max)
Directors-screenwriters: Celine Held and Logan George
Cast: Dylan O’Brien, Eliza Scanlen, Lauren Ambrose, Caroline Falk, Eric Lange, Sam Hennings, Diana Hopper
Rating: PG-13
Running time: 1 hr 39 mins