Australia has proven time and time again in recent years that it can produce some absolutely fantastic films down under, and they’ve done it again with The Loved Ones. This is a seriously messed-up horror movie with a key ingredient that films of this nature need in order to work. That ingredient? The two villains in the film are absolutely despicable and you want nothing more than to see them get theirs before all is said and done. Whether or not that actually happens is another story, but that desire invests the viewer and makes the villains that much detestable the longer they’re on screen.
The Loved Ones has a nice little backstory that helps us learn why the film’s protagonist, Brent (Xavier Samuel), is emotionally stunted, and finds escape through marijuana and heavy metal music. The one person who is beginning to break down this wall that Brent has created is his girlfriend Holly (Victoria Thaine), who he plans on taking to the prom the evening of the day the film takes place. However, his plans take a turn for the worse when a shy girl named Lola (Robin McLeavy) – who asked Brent to prom, only to be rejected in polite fashion – has her father kidnap him, so that they can have their own sadistic version of a prom at her house, on the outskirts of town.
The story is interesting, and the characters all have enough depth to make them more than just the cardboard cutouts many horror flicks toss into the mix these days. While not everyone will be able to relate with Brent, he’s a sympathetic character that works extremely well in this instance. The fact that the entire film doesn’t take place inside Lola’s house where the torture is taking place makes the film that much stronger.
Instead, writer/director Sean Byrne cuts back to Holly and Brent’s mother, who are worried about him, and are unsure of what they can really do. Their helplessness reflects Brent’s helplessness in the much more dire situation he finds himself in, and it’s rather heartbreaking to imagine this taking place while those who care about him are completely unaware, and unable to do anything.
Byrne also mixes in a small side story about Brent’s best friend Jamie (Richard Wilson), who is actually on his dream date at the prom with Mia (Jessica McNamee), the daughter of a police officer. This may seem like a pointless side story to some, but it helps balance out some themes, and ideas that you can’t always judge a book by its cover, as well as showing how Brent’s night was supposed to go, as opposed to how it’s actually going, and finally the introduction of the authority presence in Mia’s father.
The torture scenes are intense, and they’re made all the more dastardly by the actions and words spoken by Lola and her father (John Brumpton) during the violent moments. When there isn’t physical torture taking place, there’s definitely mental torture abound, as Lola constantly flirts with her father, seductively calling him “Daddy” in order to get what she wants, and play off his emotions. Both are sick and twisted individuals, but Lola is definitely the mastermind of the duo, while the father is more the one who takes care of most of the physically demanding aspects of their plan in order to please his daughter.
While there is plenty of violence to be found, this isn’t exactly torture taking place just for the sake of being gratuitous and shocking. In fact, there are some major pieces of torture that happen off screen, and we’re brought in to witness the events that take place immediately following. This works well though, as it makes the film more disturbing and actually more shocking than it would have been had we had to sit through these extra moments that would have served no purpose other than to say “Look what we did on screen, gross, eh?”
On the acting front, everyone does a great job. Samuel helps give the audience someone to care about, and our emotions are magnified when we see the impact that his going missing has on his mother and girlfriend. Of course, the real star of the film is McLeavy, who gives off just perfect reactions and expressions at the exact moment they’re needed, which helps show the absolute insanity that’s going on inside Lola’s mind throughout. Brumpton also deserves mention, as his excellent psychotic supporting work alongside McLeavy really makes this already twisted, sick situation that much more disturbing.
The Loved Ones is definitely a movie that horror fans should check out, as Byrne did a really great job bringing his horrifying vision to life. The protagonist is sympathetic and the villains are downright loathsome, which in this case is enough to help propel the entire story to an engrossing level. It’ll also make you think twice about rejecting a girl right before prom.
The video transfer looks really good here, with some great vibrant colours to contrast the dark tones of the film. The audio is also quite strong, with no need for subtitles at all, even with their accents, and sound effects that really help make the torturous scenes that much stronger. A great, yet eerie soundtrack helps push the characters forward as well.
Interviews: There are three interviews found on the disc. The first two are individual interviews with actors Xavier Samuel, and Robin McLeavy. The two talk about their roles, getting into certain scenes, and why they enjoyed working on the film. McLeavy is nothing like her character onscreen, which is likely obvious to some, but she does such a great job on camera that you just despise everything about her, so it’s great to see her bright and bubbly this time around. The other interview is with Special Effects and Make-Up Supervisor Justin Dix, who talks about all the work he did on the film, and his experience with the project.
The Loved Ones is a must-see for horror fans, and also just a good all-around creepy movie that those who aren’t really interested in the genre may want to check out as well. However, for those people who don’t usually watch horror but are curious about this one, be warned, it’s extremely violent and quite disturbing. That said, it’s also quite entertaining, and no matter how bad your own prom experience may have been, your memories will be that much fonder after you finish watching this.
Paramount Home Entertainment presents The Loved Ones. Written and Directed by: Sean Byrne. Starring: Xavier Samuel, Robin McLeavy, Victoria Thaine, Jessica McNamee, Richard Wilson, John Brumpton. Running time: 84 minutes. Rating: R. Released: September 11, 2012. Available at Amazon.com.
