Lonely Hearts

Lonely Hearts (2019) simply never looks like something that would be broadcast on tv, unless we're talking on a late-night slot on Bravo in 2005. Shaky hand-held cameras and poor sound recording went out of vogue with Davina McColl's Streetmate, guys. It's not a deal-breaker by any means though, and a terrific campfire question-and-answer game in the last act more than makes up for it, where uncomfortable truths are revealed in a squirm-inducing fashion. There's an unsettling folk-horror vibe to some parts too, particularly a treasure hunt sequence. I just wish they'd used the countryside location more, to fully capitalise on it. The horror elements don't really come to the fore until the last few minutes, in an ending that isn't really earned and doesn't make much sense, but is fairly effective nonetheless. Up until that point, Lonely Hearts is more of a satirical erotic drama, which is a small, small genre indeed.

Agreeing to participate in a dating show, a group of contestants arrive at a remote spot in the countryside and prepare for the festivities to come, but when they start to realize that something is off about the show they have to try to survive the experience and get away alive.

For the most part, this one wasn't all that bad. One of the strongest features found here is the general setup of the show that's supposedly being filmed here. Bringing everyone out to the countryside, where it's obvious what the intended couples are supposed to be from the start, with their promotional videos giving us a sense of who they are, and the various games they play for the competition give this a strong start. With the dating aspects creeping into the narrative and the couples starting to present themselves even better, the show itself becomes quite intriguing with what they have to do, especially with the cutaway to the producers watching and encouraging everything that happens here as it starts to become quite dark in tone and spirit. That's really the whole selling point of this one and really holds it up alongside the sleaze angle typically prominent in these genres. However, it does have several big flaws. The main issue is the absolute dearth of traditional horror elements present here that really makes it questionable what the scares are supposed to come from. The games being played here, from being forced to skinny-dip in freezing cold water for a better breakfast, a convoluted and unresolved clue-based hidden object search that just throws its unnecessary layer of padding into the game with switched couples and then a bizarre set of camping skill showpiece that again goes nowhere really doesn't signal any kind of genre devotion at all. Most are going to be out off by this due to the curious decision to go this route, especially with the finale twisting everything around and making for a series of admittedly brutal yet quite questionable antics that raise serious inquiries about what they're doing, what the whole purpose was and what point this all has in a satire of reality shows. These here being this one somewhat down.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, Full Nudity, and a sex scene.

Basically an excuse for some (attempted) titillating sex that uses horror trappings in an bid to disguise what it's actually concerned with. And it doesn't really perform well on any front (being either sexy or scary). The idea of utilizing a reality show as a setting for some horror shenanigans is solid enough, but there's just nothing to distinguish it from similar offerings, and it takes WAY too long for anything even remotely creepy to begin to transpire. The only real positive that can found here is Alice Mulholland, who is the performer that tries hardest to find a real character in the material.

There is a kernel of a good idea buried in Lonely Hearts, a sub-amateur film directed by Sam Mason Bell, about a mock-reality dating show where the producers have something more sinister in mind for the contestants. I like how frank it is with certain subject matter, but there is not a shred of common sense or logical thought to be found anywhere else. It looks like everything was made up as they went along, and then just turned into whatever they could out of it. More than half of this is unwatchable. Take two specific scenes and put them in Valentine, and Jamie Blanks' film would increase by at least a star.

With no knowledge and never hearing about this film, it appears to be a British independent film. Described as a reality tv parody type horror (such as Love Island), as watching, it did not seem like a horror but as we continue watching, we get a sense that there would be some sort of twist or reveal in the end- and there was.

The film is certainly entertaining and would appease to those who enjoy those reality competition type series. Surprising to see the lower rating and several negative reviews. People must have been expecting something different.

A lot of complaint seems to be the two graphic explicit skin scenes (full realistic nudity showing the male's private a few times)- after all the film is meant to be a realistic reality tv series so those scenes make sense.

The film's reveal in the final 10 minutes to end wasn't as predictable and was somewhat shocking. Although there are clues that a few of the "contestants" were in on it and it wasn't as it presented to be. We knew something was off about the tv host as well. Violent consequences in the end have the finale a quite sad disturbing ending- which seems to be why many disliked the film. Gave a rather bad taste, but it was something different.

In the end, it's a different type of film and thoroughly entertaining and sleazy watching to see what occurs next. It is Certainly not for the weak fainted.