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The Lodger

Play trailer Poster for The Lodger R 2009 1h 36m Crime Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
21% Tomatometer 24 Reviews 30% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
A husband and wife rent out a room in their West Hollywood home to a man who may be responsible for murdering a string of prostitutes.
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The Lodger

The Lodger

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Critics Consensus

An accomplished cast can't save a derivative suspense flick that manages to confuse and bore rather than thrill.

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Critics Reviews

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Rex Reed Observer Jan 28, 2009
The cast works hard to make you believe they believe what the screenwriter tells them to believe. But in the end, it all seems contrived and silly. Go to Full Review Nick Schager Cinematical Jan 25, 2009
Deviates not an inch from its rickety template. Go to Full Review Robert Abele Los Angeles Times Jan 23, 2009
1/5
This strained, empty effort doesn't work as homage or update, and in its darkly violent sensibility has neither the glamour of Brian De Palma's referential nightmares or even the narrative fuel of the serial-killer-obsessed procedurals that dominate tv. Go to Full Review Debbie Lynn Elias Behind The Lens Nov 14, 2019
An intensely visual and sensory psychological thriller, The Lodger will bring terror to your heart and challenge your own deductive reasoning skills at every turn. It's a killer! Go to Full Review Gregory Weinkauf ÜberCiné Jul 25, 2011
A smart and creepy thriller transposing a classic London tale to in-your-face modern Los Angeles. Helmer David Ondaatje's deft handling of actors and subtle twists demand a second viewing. Go to Full Review David Cornelius DVDTalk.com Mar 13, 2009
2/5
What might have played out as a passable whodunit becomes instead a frustrating drag. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Farah R @Farah Sep 2, 2026 The cast elevates the poor writing and TV-movie quality of the production. It’s slow and the ending makes no sense. See more Alain E @AlainE Jul 14, 2026 To start with the positives the visual presentation is superb with saturated colors, creative framing and occasional manipulation of the framing speed. The story is all over the place including that at the end we are told that Hope Davis’ character is totally deranged and the little boy that was filmed realistically actually does not exist. Let alone that her husband never suspected anything. To improve the atmosphere Molina’s wife is in a psychiatric hospital and his daughter doesn’t talk to him. The police is totally stupid as they believe that a woman has the physical strength to commit these murders and despite her psychiatric condition the presence of mind to avoid capture. In the meantime the Lodger just gets a new address. On Prime. See more Jovana M. @J_loves_movies Jun 28, 2026 What a great thriller mystery movie! Keeps you at the edge of your seat the entire time and suspecting several characters! Enjoyed it a lot and am surprised with these poor reviews. Ending was excellent too See more Jerod S @jeroduptown Sep 13, 2025 Just too many mental things going on, all with a "ripper" backdrop. The dip into mental health could've been good, if it would've been the focus. See more Melissa L @Agent99 Apr 25, 2024 Great movie! It was suspenseful and twisty. Great ending. Ignore the lower ratings. These people obviously have no taste. Highly recommended! See more Nov 25, 2015 I like this one, quite a bit more than I thought I would. A modern day Jack the Ripper that straight up references the murder spree from the time down to key evidence that they somehow had. A wrongful accusation a couple years back led to the execution of the wrong person. Alfred Molina, and the most unexpected killer and crazy twistful ending lead to the one of the most entertaining to watch murder mystery slasher thrillers that I've seen in a while, with very little graphic violence just to explain the point. See more Read all reviews
The Lodger

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Cast & Crew

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David Ondaatje

Director

Alfred Molina

Chandler Manning

Hope Davis

Ellen

Shane West

Street Wilkenson

Simon Baker

Malcolm Slaight

Rachael Leigh Cook

Amanda

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The Lodger

The Lodger (2009) The Lodger (2009) The Lodger (2009) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis A husband and wife rent out a room in their West Hollywood home to a man who may be responsible for murdering a string of prostitutes.
Director
David Ondaatje
Producer
Michael Mailer, David Ondaatje
Screenwriter
David Ondaatje, Marie Belloc Lowndes
Production Co
Michael Mailer, Merchant Pacific Corporation
Rating
R (Language|Brief Nudity|Violent Content)
Genre
Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 14, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 27, 2009
Runtime
1h 36m
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