Monday, November 22, 2010

The Loved Ones

**WARNING : spoilers ahead**
"The Loved Ones" was written and directed by first timer Sean Byrne, and if this film is anything to go by, the guy has a massive future. 
As far as Australian horror movies go, this is right up there with the likes of "Wolf Creek" [which I have always thought is just slightly overrated]. 
The setting, the performances from the cast and the macabre storyline all contribute to this being a very confronting film.

What I liked : 
The performance of Robin McLeavy as Lola :
There has been female "villains" in the past, but the performance of McLeavy as the truly scary Lola is masterful. It's the perfect balance of psycho and "daddies little girl". Even when she is doing unthinkable things to the near helpless Brent, she has a certain charm about her.  

The fact this is an Australian movie through and through :
"Saw" was created by Australians, "Ghost Rider" was shot in Australia, while "Daybreakers" was essentially Australian, except for a few US actors taking major roles. "The Loved Ones" is as Aussie as football, meat pies, Kangaroos and Holden cars. This country should be pleased that "The Loved Ones" along with Greg McLean's "Wolf Creek" is putting Australian horror films on the world map.

John Brumpton :
Congratulations John, you now star in two of my favourite horror movies. After nailing the role of "Poppy" in the 2007 "Storm Warning", Brumpton is incredibly creepy as the father who will do anything, and I mean anything, to please his little girl.

What I didn't like :

The first failed attempt to escape by Brent:
When main man Brent [played by Xavier Samuel] uses some quick thinking and a powerful kick to escape from the house the first time, he does everything perfectly until he actually gets out of the house. Did he leave his brains inside, because every move after that is incredibly dumb. I'm glad he didn't escape, but really, he should have. Climbing a tree instead of just jumping the fence is the jewel in the "dumb ass escape attempt" crown.

Overall :
"The Loved Ones" is a horror movie in the truth sense of the word. Terrible things happen and the "reveal" is something else. The performances are top notch, there is more than enough blood for the gore hounds, and despite it's short running time [somewhere around the 80 min mark], the story is complete. I look forward to the next offering from Sean Byrne.

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