Loving Polly

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!

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 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!

This film has to be one of the most disturbing films I've ever seen. The plot is very simple and the film is short, however, Loving Polly will stick with you long after the credits. One of the reasons I found this film so terrifying was that the fact that this monster of a human being could be anyone. A monster roaming among us and my god is Theissen's performance as The Wolf absolutely terrifying. His performance is unhinged and unpredictable. Catalina Natale's performance as Polly is incredibly gut wrenching! The characters are written so well and feel so real. My only complaint is that I want more! I want to see what happens next for Polly and The Wolf. In conclusion, this film was amazing, really hard to watch but, amazing!

I've been thinking about this film a lot since I've seen it for the first time. For a film with a really short runtime, I feel as if i got so much out of the film. Right from the beginning I felt this unease like I was terrible anxious of where this film was going to go. A couple friends recommended I watch this film, only telling me that it's extreme and doesn't hold back. And it really doesn't hold back at all. I felt as if I couldn't take anymore of it by the end of the film. This might seem like an over exaggeration to read this but, trust me, watch this movie! You'll understand. I felt shaky and weak by the time the credits started. There's a warning in the beginning that recommends you discontinue your viewing if you feel overly disturbed or triggered. I wish I took that into more consideration. The cruelty of the "torturer" is wicked and feels almost real. The performance of the lead actor is so bizarre and scary. It terrified me that someone like this character could very well be out there. This character, The Wolf, reminds me sort of like a creature swimming below you in murky water. You don't know what he'll do or when he'll strike. If you can visualize and understand my metaphor, then you can understand the type of scary I'm talking about. Aside from all that Loving Polly has technical flaws such as, choppy editing at times and camera focusing issues. Both of those flaws can be argued that it was done on purpose to create the unease, in which it is effective at times but, it can be a bit annoying more often than not. Also there are moments of poor audio and lighting, especially during the scene with Polly and her friend after the concert. The story, direction, and acting definitely outweigh its technical flaws. Loving Polly is a film about the destruction of the human spirit. There isn't a happy ending or a true resolution. This film is a real horror story told with a real life monster. John Theissen Jr.'s flawed masterpiece displays how brutal, grisly, and unforgiving humanity can truly be.