Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Spooky Southern mystery with violence, death, language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Caddo Lake
What's the Story?
CADDO LAKE laborer Paris (Dylan O'Brien) is still haunted by a car accident years ago that killed his mother and left him scarred. He searches for answers, which he seems to think will be found in the lake where his mother drowned. Nearby high schooler Ellie (Eliza Scanlen) also spends significant time on the lake, where she escapes strained relationships with her mother (Lauren Ambrose) and stepdad (Eric Lange). Ellie feels protective of her 8-year-old stepsister, Anna (Caroline Falk). When Anna disappears, a search party scours the lake's many tributaries. Paris and Ellie both stumble into a section of dried-up lakebed that seems to hold a mysterious power, and their searches will overlap in surprising and mysterious ways.
Is It Any Good?
This twisty, time-traveling mystery squeezes maximum moodiness and suspense out of its lush Southern setting and complex characters. Both are set up skillfully in Caddo Lake, with a combination of handheld cameras dropping us into the middle of its characters' complicated lives and sweeping drone- and lake-level footage conveying a parallel, unsettling swampiness in their natural environment. The storyline is gripping and the acting persuasive, although the resolution may leave you feeling that overlapping threads haven't been completely tied up.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how they would explain the story in Caddo Lake and what happened to Anna and Paris. Were there any elements of the story that felt confusing?
How would you describe the setting of this film? What is its general mood? When we are shown the Caddo Lake tributaries from above, how would you describe what you see?
How do Ellie and Paris both demonstrate courage in trying to solve the mysteries of their loved ones' disappearance or demise, even despite obstacles like other people's skepticism?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : October 10, 2024
- Cast : Dylan O'Brien , Eliza Scanlen , Lauren Ambrose
- Directors : Logan George , Celine Held
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Max
- Genre : Thriller
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , History
- Character Strengths : Courage
- Run time : 103 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some disturbing/bloody images, thematic elements and brief strong language
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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