Situated on the Texas-Louisiana border, Caddo Lake is a large, foggy swamp full of mystery and possibility. Looking into its seemingly endless horizontal abyss, there is an overwhelming feeling that the lake is full of stories hidden from the rest of the world. At least that’s the feeling we get after watching it. Caddo Lakenew film from directors Celine Held and Logan George.
A genre-bending sci-fi thriller. Caddo Lake stars Young wolfDylan O’Brien and Little womenEliza Scanlen as Paris and Ellie, a young couple living near a lake. When a young child goes missing, the two are drawn into a mystery that leads to the discovery of a shocking secret about the lake. To say more would give too much away, but suffice it to say: Caddo Lakeairing on Max starting October 10, is a twisted narrative full of twists and revelations that turn the story on its head. Perhaps it’s no surprise then that the project is being produced by M. Night Shyamalan.
On-screen rant interviewed Dylan O’Brien about his work on Caddo Lake. He talked about the attractive qualities of his character, as well as how to immerse himself in the local community and spend time with its inhabitants. He also shared his love and appreciation for directors Celine Held and Logan George even before he was asked to star in their film. Finally, he talked about his concern for the alligator’s safety and how he made sure it didn’t become lunch for the swamp creatures.
Caddo Lake star Dylan O’Brien dives into the world of Karnac, Texas
“I really immersed myself in this environment, which I really loved and still miss very much to this day.”
On-screen rant: YesYou were born in New York, but you’re a Jersey boy, right?
Dylan O’Brien: Yeah, I’m kind of a hybrid of the East Coast and the West Coast. My family moved from Jersey when I was 12, so I went to high school in California. But yeah, I would say New York is the foundation of my whole family. And I live here now in my adult life, so yes, I would say I’m leaning towards New York. Oddly enough, I know the least about North Jersey, which is technically where I grew up, outside of any place I’ve lived, I guess. But yeah, I’m from Jersey.
At the beginning of the movie I had to pause it and check it online. “Dylan’s not a Southerner, right?” Because you’re great! I don’t need to tell you, but you are great in this movie.
Dylan O’Brien: (Laughs) Thank you.
It feels like it was written especially for you. Was it so? Or did you have the opportunity to make this guy yours after you read him?
Dylan O’Brien: Yeah, I definitely had a place, that’s the process. You have to let it through, and it’s collaboration. Celine and Logan are incredible partners. They are hyper communicative. They are extremely open. They are extremely passionate. They are contagious when they are around and working. They have insatiable energy. You have to make sure to tell them it’s time to go home at the end of every day, which is what you want from your directors, you know?
By talking about Paris, I mean I have to give them credit for inspiring the voice in the original text. Not literally just the voice, but how I immediately interpreted it. He immediately felt so colored and I just caught him. I saw him, I heard him, you know? It’s hard to explain. But I think the connection to that only comes when the writing is very personal and specific and it was clear that they were really immersed in that environment. And indeed, I learned that they had completely thought through the scenario after living on the lake for three months.
They lived in Karnak. They created everything just by being there, from the knowledge and spirit of the lake and the community, and the script was infused with that. These are all the same things that I used and built when I arrived there. I got to really make friends with these community guys and we’d go out on the lake and go boating and drink beer and film shit. I mean, we hung out for six, seven hours, like talking about anything, you know? I truly immersed myself in this environment, which I loved very much and still miss very much to this day. That was kind of all I used.
Dylan O’Brien on the density of the “Caddo Lake” script and watching “Alligator”
“Listen, I’m all about safety,” the actor explains sincerely.
As soon as I watched the clip, the first thing I did was go back and watch it again, because there’s so much…
Dylan O’Brien: There’s so much to keep track of.
Yeah. The directors even said, “Yeah, there are a lot of Easter eggs.” And I thought: no, not Easter eggs, just raw storytelling! Almost every line. Because once the movie tells you what it is, it hits the ground running. You go out of your way to use these Twilight Zone-style plot points. But I don’t think it would have had as much momentum if it hadn’t ended, you know, so well in the first, you know, 20 minutes or so.
Dylan O’Brien: I love it. I felt the same way. It’s funny you said that, because when I first read the script, I immediately started over and read it a second time, knowing I was in, but wanting to read it again and just sort everything out… I have was to map it out, you know, and make sure that I was tracking everything and making sure that I was actually getting everything. And yeah, the second time I thought, “Oh, this is great.” I’m obsessed with this! And the emotional core is in the same film as this really heightened and exciting genre element. I love it as a viewer and as an actor, and I’m just a fan of it. So yes, I felt the same way.
I know you shot more on the Texas side, so it wasn’t exactly Bayou territory.
Dylan O’Brien: Caddo Lake is located between Louisiana and Texas. And yes, we were mostly on the Karnak, Texas side.
However, are there alligators?
Dylan O’Brien: Yes. I mean, look, I’m all about safety. And so, as I was getting ready to do the film, I thought: what is the situation with the alligator? How do we deal with this? How do we prevent this? I’m like, if I’m up to my waist in this damn water, (Laughs) you know! But in reality there are surprisingly few, if any, alligators here. I think they are very rarely seen there. And, you know, this is such a big production. There were a lot of boats on the water, a lot of things. You know, the Alligators don’t want to mess with any of this. So yeah, no, never even seen it. Fortunately.
“Caddo Lake” Star Dylan O’Brien on the Film’s Directors
“When you meet them, they are full of life and color, they are so smart, passionate and infectious.”
This movie seems lost The Twilight Zone story. It’s that level of pure, joyful storytelling. Tell me a little about these directors. This is their big trial by fire. Tell me about trusting them and that they trust you as their leader.
Dylan O’Brien: I’m so curious to hear the other side: why they trusted me and believed in me. But yeah, for them, for me, believing in them, it’s kind of this no-brainer intangible thing that you definitely can’t put your finger on unless you want to meet someone like that. But in terms of directing, this is always such an interesting assessment. They directed a feature film and made many short films. And I saw them all. You know, they were really experienced because they weren’t, like (raises air quotes) “experienced.” They were very experienced!
I found out about this as soon as I talked to them, and this happened, as a rule, even before this project appeared. I saw their shorts and thought: who the hell are these people? Because they are so dynamic and precise. They are completely different in tone, each one of them. They are fantastic! When you meet them they are full of life and colour, they are so smart, passionate and infectious. I was so passionate. When they sent me this, before I even opened it, I thought, I’m probably doing this because I’m already obsessed with these people. So at the end of the day, this is what you need to do from your gut perspective. Honestly, I would sign up to do anything they created.
When I opened the script and opened the test footage that they shot there with their cinematographer, it was just amazing. The feeling was as cinematic as the setting. So, when this atmosphere arose, I was completely engrossed. I was really obsessed with the emotional core and believed the character. I saw him. I believed all the heroes. I thought it was just wonderful. You know, it’s always a leap of faith, but it happens every time. At the end of the day, if it’s backed by your belief that you like them as people, their hearts and what they put into their work, that’s what you agree to work for.
More about Caddo Lake (2024)
When an eight-year-old girl mysteriously disappears, a string of past deaths and disappearances begins to link together, forever changing the story of a broken family. The inspiration for CADDO LAKE came after directors Celine Held and Logan George came across a photograph of the real Caddo Lake online, which led to numerous visits to the cypress forest located on the Texas-Louisiana border. The film was filmed in late 2021 and 2022 in and around Karnack, Texas.
Check back soon for more of our Caddo Lake interview here:
-
Eliza Scanlen
-
Celine Held and Logan George
Caddo Lake arrives October 10 at Max.