The Loved Ones

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Cast: 

 Xavier Samuel, Robin McLeavy, Victoria Thaine, Jessica McNamee, Richard Wilson, John Brumpton

The Loved Ones is a film that offers nothing new to the table (literally, as you'll see in the movie), but thanks to the creative direction newcomer Sean Byrne took with it, we're given a surprisingly refreshing look at the normally bland psychopathic family sub-genre. 

The story is pretty simple -- we follow Brent a troubled young high school student who's still stressing over causing the death of his father after swerving out of the way of someone on the road and going head first into a tree. His only solace from the guilt is his escape into a cloud of drugs and loud music. After politely declining an invitation to the prom from the strange Lola, Brent goes about his normal business, but will soon discover that Lola has other plans in mind for him later that day...

The Loved Ones isn't a movie that's looking to break any new ground here, taking notes from past psycho-family genre efforts  and giving the most obvious nod to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre dinner scene. I mean, a majority of this movie is taken place in front of a small dining room table, consisting of the insane Lola, her equally sadistic father, and an older woman simply known as "Bright Eyes", whom has a questionable hole in the middle of her head (that can't be good).

Antagonist Lola is quite possibly one of the meanest and most memorable female villains I've seen from the genre in years. She can go from soft-spoken to yelling repeatedly for Brent to cry after getting knives hammered into his feet in a matter of seconds, all the while still reverting back to her seemingly innocent self. Truly a sight to behold.

Her father isn't as memorable, but his willingness to do whatever it takes to please his daughter and his equally incestuous yearning for her makes him a creepy character and villain not to be trifled with. The film goes into little detail on how the father-daughter duo have been doing this type of thing for years, and we learn more of their story as the movie progresses, but we don't get straight answers about everything, leaving some room for audience interpretation (aside from one key factor, little is known about Bright Eyes).

We're given breaks from the events taking place around the dining room table when we follow Brent's friend  "Sac" as he goes to the prom with a female outcast. These scenes really have no reason to be in the movie aside from delivering a little comic relief and giving the viewer a little more to look at aside from just poor Brent trying to survive the violent ordeal with the family. 

There's a decent amount of blood and use of practical effects, as well a nice ensemble of music and moody tunes for the appropriate sequence. Director Sean Byrne makes good use of slow-mo during key scenes and delivers an incredibly memorable and almost dream-like climax.

The Loved Ones is a surprisingly good addition to the psycho-family sub-genre. The flick doesn't necessarily deliver anything we haven't already seen, but its creative, ballsy, and (at times) dream-like approach towards certain scenes and events that take place make it stand out among the rest. Not to mention the Lola character will also likely remain as one of recent horror's most memorable female villains. Definitely worth a check.





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Lola, a quiet loner,  works up the courage to ask Brent to the School Dance.  Brent lets her down quickly and politely because he is already planning on going to the Dance with his long time girlfriend, Holly.   Brent is racked with guilt over the accident that caused the death of his Father six months earlier.  He wears a razor blade around his neck and cuts himself on a regular basis to remind him of the pain and guilt that he feels about his Father dying in a car accident while Brent was driving on a country road.

Unfortunately for Brent, Lola doesn’t handle rejection very well.  She is Daddy’s little princess and usually gets anything and everything she wants, and right now she wants Brent.  Lola’s father kidnaps Brent and brings him home for his little princess to do with what she will.  Lola is looking for her Prince Charming among all the frogs in High School and none of them seem to measure up to her Father.  After  Lola decides a boy is not good enough for her, she likes to torture them with knives, powertools, or anything else she might find around the house.

The Loved Ones is a strange mix between an 80s Romantic Teen Comedy and a Torture Porn movie.   This unusual combination makes for an extremely  unique and different kind of  Horror Movie.   It was quite beautiful to look at with pink dresses, glitter, and a disco ball during the Dance scene.   But don’t be fooled into thinking The Loved Ones is all pretty girl stuff though,  there are some real cringe worthy horrific moments to be had as well.  The pretty prom scene is in very sharp contrast to the brutal torture that Brent has to endure from Lola after she has decided she doesn’t want him anymore.

Lola is the type of girl that blends into the background at school.  The quiet girl that sits in the corner or the Teacher’s pet that gets straight A’s.  She hasn’t quite grown up yet and she is looking for her version of the Perfect Prom King.  It’s as if she watched too many Disney movies when she was a little girl and no boy can ever measure up to her high standard.   Lola and her Father have a very unique and close relationship though.

What Lola failed to plan for , was Brent’s addiction to pain.  No matter what she seems to do to him, he has the strength to endure.   If anything it spurns Lola on and makes her even more vindictive and vicious towards Brent.  The moral of the story seems to be don’t ignore the quiet girl in the corner.  It’s always the quiet ones in the end that you have to watch out for.

Full Movie on VIOOZ