Exploring Filming Locations: Where was Caddo Lake Filmed?

The eagerly awaited film, produced by Ashwin Rajan, Josh Godfrey, Kara Durrett, and the renowned M. Night Shyamalan through his company, Blinding Edge Pictures, made its debut on the streaming service Max on October 10, 2024. The film benefits from the executive production of industry veterans Will Greenfield, Harrison Huffman, and Kimberly Steward.

According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film follows a gripping narrative where “an 8-year-old girl mysteriously vanishes, intertwining a series of historical deaths and disappearances, irrevocably reshaping a fractured family’s story.”

Filming Locations: Caddo Lake Takes the Spotlight

The majority of the film was shot at the picturesque Caddo Lake in Texas over a six-week period from October 4, 2021, to November 18, 2021. The atmospheric beauty of the lake serves not just as a backdrop but as a key element that enhances the film’s eerie ambiance.

About Caddo Lake

Located at the Texas-Louisiana border, Caddo Lake spans an impressive 25,000 acres. The area is distinguished by its cypress trees draped in Spanish moss, creating a hauntingly beautiful landscape. This unique environment inspired the filmmakers to incorporate its otherworldly characteristics into the storytelling.

To capture the film’s dark and foreboding themes, the crew cleverly utilized the lake’s winding waterways and secluded areas. Filming during the fall season allowed them to navigate around the notorious mosquito population that plagues the region during summer months, while also capitalizing on the atmospheric weather conducive to the film’s chilling narrative.

In a recent interview with Game Rant, director Logan George discussed the unpredictability of outdoor filming in such locations, stating, “We were totally beholden to the weather. Plans could shift overnight, evolving from well-laid scenes to muddy challenges.”

“There was a lot of improvisation around building out some of those scenes where we would come in with a plan to shoot right there, and then by day four, it’s like a total mud bath. You had to completely change your idea of how you were going to film the scene.”

Additional Filming Locations

In addition to Caddo Lake, significant portions of the film were shot in the small community of Karnack, Texas, as well as in Shreveport, Louisiana, which contributed to the diverse settings captured in the movie.

Intriguing Plot Overview

The storyline of Caddo Lake intricately weaves the narratives of two protagonists living in different timeframes: Ellie (played by Eliza Scanlen) in 2022 and Paris (portrayed by Dylan O’Brien) in 2003. Their lives are interconnected by the mystique of the lake.

Ellie’s search for her missing 8-year-old sister, Anna, pulls her deep into the lake’s mysteries, where she uncovers a time portal that sends her back into Paris’s era. Meanwhile, Paris is grappling with the recent loss of his mother due to a tragic accident, leading him to the lake in search of hidden truths. Their paths converge in a remarkable journey that reveals painful secrets while paving the way for personal healing.