The Lodgers

Set on a crumbling manor in rural Ireland in 1920, The Lodgers follows twin siblings Rachel and Edward, bound by a mystery that haunts their home after dusk. By night the house becomes a doorway to a malevolent force known as The Lodgers, which imposes three iron rules on the twins: stay in bed before midnight, never admit an outsider beyond the door, and never try to escape or risk the life of the other. When Sean, a battle-worn veteran, returns to the nearby village and is drawn to Rachel, she begins bending the boundaries, testing what the siblings will endure. As the rules fray, the truth about their past and the curse's grip closes in, threatening family and sanity.

Released in 2017, The Lodgers was directed by Brian O'Malley from an original screenplay by David Turpin and O'Malley. The Gothic setup pairs Charlotte Vega, Bill Milner, Eugène Simon and Moe Dunford in a stark Irish horror tale born from a fresh collaboration.

Critics praised the film for mood and visuals, but some found the pacing uneven and the premise familiar. The story foregrounds confinement and loyalty within a broken family, then tests the cost of defying inherited rules. Themes of memory, guilt, and the price of breaking tradition run through the tension between the twins and the unseen force.

The Lodgers stands out among Irish Gothic thrillers for its austere setting and period detail. Its stark mansion and muted color palette give it a cult feel among genre fans, contributing to a niche wave of Irish supernatural mystery that favors atmosphere over shock.

No major nominations documented. The Lodgers did not win prominent prizes, though it attracted attention from genre circles for its look and mood. Its festival presence was modest, marking it as a capable niche entry in Irish horror cinema.