Horror movies often employ several repetitive archetypes that function somewhat as genre conventions. One of the conventional archetypes is that of a loving, close-knit family being trapped in an isolated house that is haunted. This often heightens the drama and raises the stakes for every character who has to not only defend their lives but also that of the ones they love. Several movies put a spin on this narrative by depicting one or more of the family members (the kid(s) on a lot of occasions) being possessed and thereby leading to the additional trauma of choosing between self-defense and protection of loved ones.
Another, less common deviation of this archetype was seen in Stanley Kubrick’s ‘The Shining,’ an adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name. In such stories, a character loses their sanity and/or becomes possessed, thereby threatening the lives of their family members.
The upcoming indie horror, ‘The Lodge’ might …