The new sci-fi thrillerCaddo Laketells the stories of Paris, played by Dylan O’Brien, and Ellie, played by Eliza Scanlen. These two characters, on the surface, seem completely unconnected, as the movie shows their experiences out on the spooky and mysterious Caddo Lake. The movie is now streaming onMax, and viewers will quickly find its narrative evolves into something much deeper. Indeed, by the time the final credits roll, it becomes extremely apparent that M. Night Shyamalan, a name synonymous with twist endings, serves as the movie’s producer.
In an interview with Game Rant,Caddo Lake’s co-directors, Celine Held and Logan George, discussed the importance of the movie’s twist and, more importantly, how they tried to ensure that it landed in a way that connected with audiences. They spoke about how twist endings need to be done correctly to ensure the audience doesn’t feel cheated or lied to in any way. Of course,M. Night Shyamalan’s experience with delivering huge twistsover the years will have massively helped the filmmakers in this regard.
Caddo Lake Wants the Audience to Figure Out Its Twist on Their Own
Over the years, moviegoers have been treated to some incredibly intelligent twists that have helped to elevate their respective movies to a whole other level. Movies such asM. Night Shyamalan’sThe Sixth Senseand Martin Scorsese’sShutter Islandare great examples of twists done right, leaving a strong impression in the audiences' minds long after the credits roll. George explained that this was very much a priority when working onCaddo Lake:
“I do think you want to leave your filmmaking open enough so that people can have those realization moments for themselves. As far as the fundamental twist of the story of what you’re watching and how these two characters connect, it was a delicate balance. Once the audience understands the twist, we didn’t want them to feel cheated, or that narratively we were hiding things.”
Comparing Caddo Lake’s Script With a Video Game Narrative
Not every movie/TV show that uses twists can achieve this balance, and for some, the payoff can feel completely forced, even unnecessary. For George, though, his experience with video game design helped in this regard. “Logan and I met at NYU a long time ago. He had taken a class on game design, and that had a big influence on writing this script,” Held explained. George said he was able to take what he’d learned and apply it toCaddo Lake’s plot:
“It’s the same principle as in a video game. You want to feel like you as the player can make that jump because the game has told you everything you need to do to make that jump. It’s your fault as the player if you don’t make the jump. I think you can feel the same way about how a narrative plays out within a movie.”
It’s certainly a logical comparison, and it’s easy to draw similarities between the two, particularly at a time whenvideo game narratives are becoming more layeredand complex. This is the second movie from the exciting young filmmakers, followingTopside, which centers on a mother and daughter living in abandoned subway tunnels in New York City. The duo teased that there is plenty more on the way, with Held explaining, “For our third film, we found that we’re a little bit obsessed with mines. Specifically, we found this particular mine. We are writing a story that takes place within it, and we’re really excited about it.”
Caddo Lakeis now streaming on Max.
MORE:Salem’s Lot Cast Talk Bringing a Classic to Life for Modern Audiences
