By Melissa Ann
If I were to list my favorite horror films made over the last decade, The Loved Ones would easily top it. Although the movie is critically acclaimed, it doesn’t seem to get the recognition from horror fans it deserves. Hopefully that changes because this truly is a fantastic addition to the genre.
Brent (Xavier Samuel) is a senior in high school who lost his father in a car accident a year earlier. He was driving the car and had to swerve to avoid hitting a bloody boy walking in the road. Smothered in his mother’s grief and his own guilt, he has taken to cutting himself with a razorblade and even considers suicide. Brent’s classmate, Lola (Robin McLeavy), asks Brent if he would be her prom date, only to get rejected. Little does he know, awkwardly shy Lola is actually a deranged girl on the lookout for her prince. With the help of her equally psychotic father (John Brumpton), they drug and kidnap Brent for a prom night from hell.
Over the course of the night, Brent is severely tortured by Lola and her father. The fact that her mom had a hole drilled through her head already should give some indication regarding their brutality. Although the movie has some fantastically disturbing scenes, it never feels heavy. Lola has a unique ability to make me laugh and cringe at the same time. Brent is a likeable character that I want to see rescued, but at the same time I keep craving Lola’s insanity. Threatening to nail genitals to a chair while dressed in pink from head to toe reminds me of a homicidal princess. Robin McLeavy wasn’t afraid to take her character to the extreme and it pays off.
The main story comes together quite nicely and circles back to the car crash in the beginning. When we’re shown how long Lola has been searching for her prince, and how many boys she’s gone through, it was a bit of a surprise. Seeing the true nature of her relationship with her father was a bit uncomfortable, but added to the awkwardness viewers are supposed to feel. The only part that didn’t do much for me was a side story involving Brent’s friend and his prom date. It felt a bit out of place and doesn’t add much to the Brent/Lola story, but it does give viewers a quick break from the rest of the madness.
The Loved Ones is filmmaker Sean Byrne’s first feature film and he nailed it (pun intended). The acting is superb, the story feels fresh and the soundtrack has become one of my favorites. Watching Lola bloody and battered singing “Am I Not Pretty Enough” by Kasey Chambers while walking down a road is haunting and perfect. This is definitely a flick that shouldn’t be passed up by horror fans.
Rating: 8/10
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I also enjoyed this movie, and completely agree that it deserves more love than it actually gets. Looking forward to the next one from Sean Byrne.