Whenever we are at our lowest points, reveling in our own misery, we are told there is nowhere else to go but up. For some reason, people think that by telling someone this they are going to pick themselves up by their bootstraps and begin to make positive changes in their lives. Brent, played by Xavier Samuel, is at his lowest point. Through a series of traumatic occurrences, he is now estranged from his mother. Luckily he does have a loving girlfriend by the name of Holly (Victoria Thaine) and a good friend by the name of Jamie (Richard Wilson). Still, at his lowest point, he feels as if there is no one to turn to. This movie taught me and anyone else who watches it one thing: sometimes the lowest point really isn’t the lowest point at all. In fact, I would argue it is always possible for someone to be more miserable than they already are. Whenever I’ve been sad, I wished that someone wouldn’t tell me that it will only get better from here, but rather say that I should stop being a whiny baby and realize there is always the potential for worse things to occur. Well, Brent’s life does get worse, thanks to torture and the weirdly attractive Lola (Robin McLeavy).
While this is a horror movie, The Loved Ones focuses heavily on the teen genre and music. I believe this film has one of the better movie soundtracks and all songs are placed within the movie at the perfect moments. Any viewer will also notice all of the teen clichés. Whether that is girl drama, teenage angst, or sex and drugs. If a viewer is looking for a horrified She’s All That or American Pie, then this is a good movie to watch. This does not mean that this movie is like Scream or I Know What You Did Last Summer, because it’s not. This film is much more adventurous and creepy, which is why I would peg it as a future cult film for the ages. I have to admit that while I can see how this movie would be loved by many horror fans, there are a couple of aspects of it that were a little annoying. Jamie’s role, while hilarious, had really no importance to the film. You could argue that his relationship with Mia (Jessica McNamee) is what ties off a certain storyline, but you could also argue that his only purpose is a bit of comedy. I couldn’t help but find myself loving the scenes with Jamie in it, and when he wasn’t in it, wishing he were there. If you are also sensitive to cheesy, then this film may not be for you. The entire teen and horror genre are arguably cheesy, so I guess I shouldn’t complain too much. Overall, if you are a fan of a gritty, unique, and Australian horror film, then this may be your kind of movie. If you are more interested in the nuances of a plot line and the genuine scares, rather than flash and torture, then this probably won’t be your kind of movie. No matter what, this is my cult pick for years to come. Twenty years from now, people will still bring up this movie, but only because certain individuals truly love it.
Horror island is receiving a couple of individuals, but mainly Lola, the troubled teen that can’t find love. Considering how creepy, yet attractive she is, it wouldn’t be hard to see her winning over other monsters on the island. While she doesn’t have the potential to be a head honcho, she does have the potential to add the perfect amount of glitter and splash to any horror creature’s murderous plots.
If you liked The Loved Ones, you might also like Rogue River.