Loving Polly

This is a top-tier amateur film. It tells an effectively horrific horror story with extreme limitations. You can tell they were working with whatever equipment the filmmakers could afford. John Theissen Jr. (the director, actor, writer, and composer) was only twenty-one when he made this film. To tackle this subject matter at such a young age has me concerned about the young man. Also, the fact that he had numerous roles in the making of this film is wild to me. His original score is effective in a way that it is haunting and tragic. HIS PERFORMANCE! His performance as The Wolf is absolutely horrific and is the best part of this movie. This isn't a movie to watch more than once but it will stick with me for a long while.

I've seen many disturbing thriller and horror films in my time but, this...this was a wild one. What sets this film apart from a film like The Cannibal Holocaust is that it's legitimately a great film rather than being a film that's only purpose is shock factor and there is plenty of shocking things that happen in this film. Loving Polly's filmmaking is more in common with a film such as, Come and See, in which it perfectly shows the fear and pain of the characters. That's what makes Loving Polly and Come and See feel so disturbing and so real! A large part of that is due to the performances of these practically no name actors. The painfully devastating performance that Catalina Natale delivers as Polly added so much haunt to my viewing of the film by the end of it all! I also have to mention how insane and unique John Theissen Jr.'s wild man performance was. He was absolutely a terrifying mad man in this film! It was shocking to find out that he not only acted and directed the film but, was cinematography and the writer of the film as well. Where Loving Polly falls flat is it's editing at times. The concert scene feels unfinished and is a bit distracting to what's going on. Another minor problem I'm conflicted with is that I felt as if there should've been more. Where I'm conflicted is that I also kinda liked how simple the movie really was. The simplicity makes it feel more realistic and less Hollywood-ish. Maybe keep it simple but have more. My problems aside, it really was great, disturbing and violent, but great. Definitely not for everyone, probably not most people actually. If you're ever in the mood for something really horrifying, than I highly recommend Loving Polly! Also I can't believe the director is so young! Great job!

When the film ended I just sat there...stunned. Nothing about this movie was traditional. From the first 10 minutes you expect some traditional horror film but the way this film changes at its half way point, I was shook. It was so intense and graphic that at multiple points I had to stop the film. My girlfriend got physically sick. If the subjects in this film trigger you, I highly recommend you don't watch. It's so ultra-violent. It's an underground experimental horror flick that refuses to hold back. The performances are some of the best I've ever seen. John Theissen Jr. Is freaking nuts! As great and as bold as the film was, I don't know if I can ever see one of his films again if it's as nearly violent as this one. I sincerely mean all of this in the best way possible. Bravo! I hope people see this film as a true horror film rather than something that was only made for shock factor. It reminds me of the song writing of Kurt Cobain.

Is this allowed? Can they make movies like this?! The Mfer who made this is a crazy mfer! Is she ok? Is he ok? Why did I love this movie?! Am I ok? C'mon now!!!! I need more! I NEED-...actually I'm good. That was great. Don't need anymore. I think I'm gonna be sick now...

I don't think I've ever seen true insanity portrayed in such an almost "feral-like" way before on film. The lead performance is just really unsettling to watch and I mean that in the best way possible! It really has been a long time since I felt so much anxiety watching a movie and that's largely due to the lead actor's performance and the handheld cinematography style which brings a real sense of rawness to the film. The story is very chaotic, almost like a Safdie bros film and incredibly grim. Nothing that happens within the story is light, it's just pure dark horror throughout its 45 min runtime. The direction is also really bold and stylish which adds to that rawness, like I mentioned before. The film does have some technical flaws, for example, the warning title being cropped and poor audio at certain points but that can honestly be forgiven. LP is a rare breed of film that filmmakers are too afraid to make nowadays in our social climate. It's honest filmmaking and storytelling which is what we definitely need more of! With that being said, it isn't an easy watch and might trigger a lot of people but, at the end of the day it's an important film. Horrifying, but important! In other reviews I see people complaining about how there should've been more to the film but, I disagree. The length and the really simple plot is what makes this film feel so meaningful and real!