Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- brooding
- paranoid
- rain-soaked
- late night thriller viewing
- noir movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film derivative, confusing, tedious, and unable to convert its capable cast or Hitchcockian premise into effective suspense.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The detective’s pursuit of a Jack the Ripper copycat is intercut with the landlady’s uneasy relationship with her enigmatic lodger.
The West Hollywood killer imitates the crimes associated with Jack the Ripper rather than operating as a purely original criminal figure.
Critical descriptions emphasize constant rain, noirishly blurred lights, and a darkly violent sensibility around the Sunset Strip setting.
The landlady’s psychologically unstable perspective is bound to an enigmatic lodger whose presence may connect to the murders.
Films like The Lodger, and why
Zodiac
shared serial killer investigation, noir atmosphere, and psychological suspense
From Hell
shared Jack the Ripper mythology, period-inflected murder mystery, and shadowy thriller mood
The Lodger
shared Hitchcockian suspense, ambiguous killer identity, and urban psychological tension
Copycat
shared cat-and-mouse procedural structure and serial killer obsession
Movie Details
- Director
- David Ondaatje
- Release Date
- 2009-01-14
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 5.7 / 10 (145)
Cast
- Alfred Molina
- Hope Davis
- Shane West
- Donal Logue
- Philip Baker Hall
- Rachael Leigh Cook
- Rebecca Pidgeon
- Simon Baker
- François Chau
- Mel Harris
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Bloodstream
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Lodger about?
- A psychologically charged West Hollywood murder mystery follows a detective and a troubled landlady as a Jack the Ripper copycat closes in.
- What is The Lodger like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Lodger as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Lodger violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Lodger as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Lodger?
- Critics broadly found the film derivative, confusing, tedious, and unable to convert its capable cast or Hitchcockian premise into effective suspense.
- Which films are like The Lodger?
- Films with a similar feel include Zodiac, From Hell, The Lodger, and Copycat.
- How long is The Lodger?
- The Lodger runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Lodger?
- In United States, The Lodger streams on Bloodstream.
