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The Loved Ones
Sean Byrne, Australia, 2009; 84m
Winner of an audience award at the Toronto film festival, this choice piece of prom-night horror shows the gory good times to be had from low self-esteem. When Brent turns down Lola, she doesn't take no for an answer, and decides she wants him all to herself... Continuing evidence of the genre zeal from the current wave of Australian filmmakers (Muriel's Wedding meets Texas Chain Saw Massacre?).
Watch This Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqtDoEne-Is
First mentioned here (http://xixax.com/index.php?topic=1274.msg297181#msg297181). I really want to see this now.
I have to be softening in my old age arrogance because that looks pretty awesome.
But man did that trailer give too much away or what?
Quote from: Ghostboy on October 15, 2010, 01:02:30 PM
But man did that trailer give too much away or what?
Um yeah. That gave away way too much, I feel like I've seen the whole thing. Looks cool though.
don't believe the hype.
i haven't seen this but if there's one thing i am certain about in this world is that australian films almost ALWAYS SUCK.
this looks about as well shot yet dramatically and narratively void as everything else made here.
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From my blog (http://modage.tumblr.com/post/1455843981/the-loved-ones):
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The final Horror film in my 31 day, 27 film marathon, The Loved Ones was the Closing Night film for FilmLinc's Scary Movies series. It also lived up to the insane looking trailer, being everything I hoped it would be. The basic setup is Lola asks Brent to the school dance, he politely declines, she kidnaps and tortures him. Sounds simple enough but it doesn't begin to describe what's great about the film. The film is violent but it's not gratuitous, and goes to some extremely fucked up places. I thought about how thin the line is between a horror movie that's fun and one that's just sick and as a horror fan, it's hard to say where that line is except that you know when it's been crossed.
The Loved Ones smartly stays on the right side of the line, showing you horrible things but not rubbing your nose in them. The girl who plays Lola gives a breakout performance, completely believably gleefully insane. The film is a true original with several twists that elevate the movie beyond standard psycho fare and a few subplots that resolve in surprising ways. When you figure out what the title is referring to, you can't help but smile. I only wish I hadn't seen the trailer, which definitely reveals too much, but it was still my favorite Horror discovery this year. Definitely recommended for the adventurous, just avoid the trailers and await a US release date.