Lowlifes

Lowlifes didn't offer me any surprises when it came to the main plot but definitely has a few unexpected moments along the way.

It's hard to discuss without giving away too much but I wanted to add a little review just to bolster the ratings really as the filmmakers and actors deserve it.

This is a low budget feature but the cast put a lot in and make you root for or hate the relevant characters.

It's acting that hopefully sees the main players get more work in the future.

The action/horror moments are gory and tense and hit the spot of what's hoped for in a slasher movie like this.

It's a little gem of a film that I hope gets watched by a good number of people.

I don't remember recently such an artistic/professional "suicide" like this. Director/writers came up with pretty good ideas. LOWLIFES somewhat grabs you by the throat, it's never boring, of course it's not that original and creative but for a 2024 horror movie, it's almost great. Characters are well written, actors do a good job, there are nice twists.

And then it goes down the drain. The ending was disgusting. Look, i could live with unsatisfying endings but this is not an art drama neither a crime thriller. This is something like a dark comedy with horror elements. You can't end your movie like this after all the things that happened. Writers wanted to end it unexpectedly, and i respect bold choices. But not in this movie. This movie DEMANDED a different ending.

Ending aside, this lose its steam during the last 20-ish minutes. It should have been at least 10 minutes shorter. Pace/rhythm got worse, and it was not that anxiety-inducing during those minutes. Something was off. It was bordeline funny and as it seems, unintentionally funny.

Actors were very good though. And the build up was good enough to make me invested.

The film seems to draw heavily from another horror film called "You're Next" which is one of the few decent American horror films of the last 25 years. Lowlifes is worth a watch because of strong performances from a few of the actors, especially the actor who plays the father, and several plot twists.

The story basically involves a road-tripping, normal-appearing family who come into contact with rather stereotypical and exaggerated redneck-type locals. The plot is anything but predictable, but again seems to draw inspiration from a horror movie known to horror enthusiasts but probably not to the general public. I agree with other reviewers that the ending was for lack of a better word disappointing.

Tubi original Lowlifes breathes some new life into the old 'city folk vs. Hillbillies' genre, blending comedy and gory horror to great effect. It's best to go into the film blind, so I'm not going to summarise the plot or mention any spoilers, suffice to say that it serves up some neat twists along the way.

Directors Tesh Guttikonda and Mitch Oliver deliver a fun movie that isn't to be taken seriously and their cast act accordingly, putting in enjoyably campy/comical turns. This doesn't mean that the horror is any less effective when it happens though: there's some genuinely nasty stuff in the film with plenty of graphic splatter along the way.

Don't watch this one expecting it to be a game changer -- I don't think the film-makers had such aspirations -- accept Lowlifes for what it is... a bloody good time with its severed braised tongue firmly in cheek.

I was pleasantly surprised with this movie. I tend to put on horror/slashers on in the background but this one caught my attention. It even had a couple of decent surprises. I rated this as a 7 because it's better than average for this type of genre but it's not going to be to everyone's taste.

If you are looking for something completely original, particularly gruesome, or with a lot of jump scares, this isn't for you.

However, if you like splatter slashers with some comedy, Lowlifes is a good choice. They did a good job with the casting, the characters were fun, and it looked like the cast was enjoying themselves.

If the film makers or cast ever look at this, you did a great job and I look forward to seeing future films.