Parents' Guide to Little Bone Lodge

Movie R 2023 93 minutes
Little Bone Lodge movie poster: Two sides of a blonde woman's face are placed together to make one, with a chain hanging down the center and a lodge d

Common Sense Media Review

Kat Halstead By Kat Halstead , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 16+

Dark, twisty, British thriller has violence, bad language.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 16+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 16+

Based on 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In LITTLE BONE LODGE, two criminal brothers, Jack (Neil Linpow) and Matty (Harry Cadby), take refuge in the secluded lodge of Mama (Joely Richardson) and her family during a storm. When the two men hold the family captive, they soon discover that what seemed like an innocent farmhouse has dark, violent secrets of its own.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 1 ):
Kids say : Not yet rated

What initially sounds like your typical home invasion thriller is given complexity and a fair amount of creepiness in the first feature film script from writer Linpow, who also plays the role of Jack. Richardson carries the rest of Little Bone Lodge confidently in the increasingly unsettling part of Mama, and up-and-comers Cadby and Sadie Soverall both offer impressive performances in supporting roles. That there are twists is unsurprising, but their gruesomeness will either delight or disgust, depending how dark viewers are willing to go. Atmospheric, layered, and well-paced, the film not only cleverly subverts the genre while still delivering on thrills, but takes the time to build heartfelt relationships at the core -- keeping the stakes high right to the final scene.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the the level of violence in Little Bone Lodge. Was it shocking? Thrilling? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?

  • Discuss the strong language used in the movie. Did it seem necessary or excessive? What did it contribute to the film?

  • Characters were not simply "good" or "bad" in the movie, particularly Jack. What were some of his positive and negative qualities? At what moments did he show empathy and care for others?

  • How did the movie subvert aspects of the home invasion genre? How would you typically describe the invaders versus the victims? How did these characters and the plot compare?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

Little Bone Lodge movie poster: Two sides of a blonde woman's face are placed together to make one, with a chain hanging down the center and a lodge d

What to Watch Next

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate