The Loved Ones

This movie is a hell of a lot of fun. That's really all there is to it.

Having said that, it isn't without its faults. There will be things you don't understand, characters that aren't fleshed out, side stories that are seemingly pointless and don't really push the plot forward, etc. But really, did you expect that much from torture porn? But perhaps fans of the genre might find The Loved Ones a little unsatisfying, as some gore bits aren't as cringe-inducing as they could've been.

However, I was pleasantly surprised. The build up was a little boring, but by the end, man was my heart pumping. I was rooting for the main guy so hard! This is definitely a popcorn flick that doesn't require a lot of critical thinking. The characters are... charming, actors are great, the story unique, execution very nice, and the production design is also surprisingly aesthetically-pleasing. I think horror fans should definitely give this movie a go.

It's no surprise that Sean Byrne's relentlessly blood-soaked The Loved Ones won the Cadillac People's Choice Award at TIFF's midnight screening. The young Australian writer/director has since been hard-pressed for free time as many in Hollywood have been vying for his attention.

Since the film's premiere in Toronto, Byrne has been making frequent trips to LA and has been invited to speak with top execs. On this particular trip, Byrne's schedule has been tightly booked from morning until night on every single day thus far, including weekends.

For those who haven't seen The Loved Ones, it is an indie-horror treat. Let's just say, if Carrie from "Carrie" and Jigsaw from "Saw" "wanted to play a game," this film would be the perfect compromise between their approaches. What results is an anti-John-Hughes film that offers a cynical, frightening re-imagining of a high-school prom. The Loved Ones

The film benefits from a cast which is in full-tune with its director. And unlike many horror films today, Byrne's even has something to say. The film's bizarre title provokes us to think about the consequences of unrequited love and, more importantly, the real victims. Of course life would be easier if anyone we fell in love with immediately felt the same way. But in The Loved Ones, love is played as more of a cruel game for all characters.

It may be a bit unusual for American moviegoers to see a horror film carried by actors who speak with Australian accents. Although Peter Jackson was able to earn instant cult-status with his blood-splasher Dead Alive through similar New Zealand accents. Jackson and Byrne already share some in common.

Like Jackson, Byrne seems to be fascinated with shock-horror, fantasy, and even the supernatural. There is also an indie feel to Byrne's work reminiscent of Jackson's earlier low-budget films. So long as the young and talented Byrne is making movies, he just might have to get used to spending more time in Hollywood than at home.

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The Loved Ones is written and directed by Sean Byrne and stars Xavier Samuel, Robin McLeavy and John Brumpton. An Australian horror, the plot sees Brent Mitchell (Samuel) kill his father in a car accident. Stricken with grief he attempts to get on with his life aided by his girlfriend Holly (Victoria Thaine). But when the quietest girl in school, Lola Stone (McLeavy), asks him to the prom and he says no, he finds that he is suddenly the prom king star of a very different sort of party....

Kinda sick, kinda twisted, but an utterly compelling Aussie blood letting exercise that transcends torture porn whilst revelling in a sick sense of humour. With wry observations on teen angst and meditations on grief, loneliness, alienation and forbidden desires, Sean Byrne's film isn't out to solely shock the audience. With an evidently small budget to work from, Byrne has kept things tight and minimalist, this aids the film considerably, adding a sort of realism to the characters before it goes into overdrive as Brent (Samuel superb) finds that politely turning down Lola's (McLeavy a wonderfully monstrous creation) request has opened up (literally) a new world of pain. There's a misstep of a subplot involving another fumbling Goth couple actually going to the real prom, it serves no purpose other than to up the horny angst quota, but this is mostly slick/sick stuff. Backed by a kicking soundtrack, that's headed by the reoccurring Kasey Chambers hit single "Not Pretty Enough", itself creepy personified, The Loved Ones is highly recommended to horror fans who like a bit of torture in their diets. 8/10

Many horror movies have been made about high school outcasts. High School in itself can be and is a real horror story for many kids across the world. "The Loved Ones" tells such a story that goes to extreme and disturbing lengths. The movie is from and based in Victoria, Australia and when it comes to bat s**t crazy movies the Aussies really go all out. Lola (Robin McLeavy) is a seemingly shy and meek girl who gathers her courage to ask her crush Brent (Xavier Samuel) to the prom. While Brent who looks a lot like the late Heath Ledger, already has a girlfriend he is going with. He politely declines her offer and leaves. Obviously hurt and disappointed Lola who with help from her father have plans to make it a night to remember.

Ever since Brent was involved in a car accident that took his dad's life he has never been the same. He was driving at the time and blames himself for his death. His mom has also become an emotional zombie. He spends his days smoking pot, listening to heavy metal music and contemplating suicide. His girlfriend Holly is caring and supportive but can only do so much. Just before picking her up for the dance he goes on another one of his lonely contemplative walks, when he is assaulted and kidnapped. If you can connect the dots you'll guess that it was Lola and her father. They bring him to their house and tie him to a chair.

A lot of what we see in the first half of "The Loved Ones" is nothing new, but things do get a lot better. Brent is tortured by Lola and her father. The family along with their creepy comatose almost dead mother is somewhat reminiscent of the crazy family from "Texas Chainsaw" but so many films have gone there it has become quite the horror cliché. At one point Brent does escape, but is quickly rounded up.

There is another storyline going on that really doesn't seem too fit. It follows Brent's BFF Jaime as he takes this Goth chick to the prom. They spend most of the time in the car drinking, smoking pot and being uncomfortable with each other until they start making out. There are some good character moments and the filmmakers do try to link up some of the characters and their "loved ones" towards the end but the whole storyline seems a little misguided. A third story line involves Holly, Brent's mother, and a policeman as they search for Brent.

Lola's torture of Brent starts going to extreme lengths and we also find out a bunch of disturbing back story of the family and what is really going on in their house. Brent is not her first play thing as there have been many others just like him, and she is getting good at it. The movie continues to go down a very dark path and gets just as insane as Lola and her father. Brent throughout his ordeal shows a strong will to live as he fights back against his captors with every chance he gets. The movie comes in at a very trim hour and twenty minutes and although it was made on a tight budget it looks and feels like something that cost a whole lot more. The violence and gore is pretty intense and extremely well done. This is director Sean Byrne feature debut and it will be interesting to see what he comes up with next. "The Loved Ones" is available on DVD or Blu-ray and is a must see for any horror fan.

A far from original tale that bleeds from the initial events when a young and inexperienced driver, through very little fault of his own, removes an important part of his parental relationship by crashing the car at the price of his father's life. As is customary in the genre, the events that unfold some months later are probably more a reflection of the guilt, mental health and anguish being suffered by the young driver, although to believe the type of sadistic pairing he encounters exists, and that they were able to get away with their brutality in the first instance, is far from believable (or maybe not in the place this was made). If you like a bit of incestuous, torturous tyranny, like the aforementioned pair, for no other reason than that's how you get your kicks, then pile in and gorge on the cruelty and sadistic savagery of shallowness.