SXSW Film Review: The Loved Ones
SXSW 2010
Directed by: Sean Byrne
Starring: Xavier Samuel, Richard Wilson, Jessica McNamee, Robin McLeavy, John Brumpton, Victoria Thaine
Review by: Britt Hayes
Brent Mitchell is having a bad year. He accidentally drove his car into a tree, killing his father. He’s been flirting with death (and bringing his dog along for the ride! What a jerk!), he cuts himself, and he has no motivation outside of his too-pretty girlfriend Holly and her amazing….linguistic skills. The school dance is coming up, and his best friend Sac landed a date with the hot goth chick and policeman’s daughter, Mia.
Then something odd happens. Lola, the odd, quiet girl asks Brent to the dance. Sorry Lola, but Brent’s seeing Holly. Seems like a sad little moment for Lola, until we see her again, watching Brent and Holly go at it in Holly’s car. Something is not right with that girl.
You see, Lola is a spoiled brat. Her father bends to her every whim, even (especially) the most disturbing ones. He’d do anything for his little girl, even if it meant hurting her mother, and particularly if it means kidnapping Brent and bringing him back home for the most horrific prom night ever, replete with drills, forks, knives, fried chicken, and bloody glitter.
The Loves Ones is the perfect companion to female-centered horror films. May just wanted a friend, Carrie got her first period and just wanted to be accepted, Kathy Bates just wanted a good book to read…and Lola is a girl with daddy issues who just wants the perfect boyfriend. It seems like The Loved Ones fits the female horror mold. It’s not terribly different (Lola IS certifiably bananas), but it takes the genre and turns it on its head a bit. Lola isn’t just some mousy, lonely girl. She’s a horribly cute lonely girl. Imagine if Veruca Salt entered puberty and took Seventeen magazine way too far. I’d hate to see what Lola would do once she reached the Cosmopolitan years. Her room is filled with Barbie dolls in explicit poses and her favorite color is pink. She’s like a spoiled 5 year old with hormones and severe psychosis.
While Brent is in prom night hell with Lola and Daddy, Sac and Mia are running around town before the dance, getting high and drunk, and Holly and Brent’s mother have already discovered he’s missing. The funnier moments follow Sac and Mia on their escapades, with the awkward and clumsy Sac hilariously trying to impress Mia. These make for nice sub-plots in the periphery of the film, taking us away from intense moments at the perfect time, but not spending too much film on the supporting characters. Just enough to lighten the audience up, but not enough to make you forget that Brent is strapped to a chair while Lola pays tribute to the great fatally attracted females that came before her, using Brent’s body as a canvas.
As a film, The Loved Ones is shot beautifully, notably during scenes at Lola and Daddy’s house. There are unflinching moments where the camera doesn’t let up, and we’re witness to some pretty painful stuff. Other times, Byrne knows when to hold back and let his sound effects and implied action do the talking. This is a great film to see with an audience in a theater. I personally love the shared experience of the theater – you laugh, clap, and gasp more than you would at home with a friend on a Saturday night. People were audibly affected by The Loved Ones, and it was something that made the film that much more fun to watch.
And that’s the kind of horror The Loved Ones is: fun.
The performances are great all around, but Robin McLeavy’s Lola deserves a medal of honor. If this film sees wide release, girls are going to dress up like her for Halloween. Hell, I want to be her for Halloween. McLeavy plays Lola like a genuine, love-sick daddy’s girl, tantrums and all. She’s a force to be reckoned with and has had a little too much power. When Lola demands attention, she gets full attention, from her supporting characters and the audience.
The Loved Ones is a great horror film that will find a definite, diverse following and won’t leave anyone disappointed. At first glance, it seems like a typical horror film with the usual twists and turns, but The Loved Ones does something special, taking the usual horror elements and flipping them, putting them through the ringer. Personally, I’d love to live in this Australian town. The goth chick is giving the goods away and cute little Lola will kill for it. These are some desperate ladies. What’s wrong with the men in this town?
Jokes aside, The Loved Ones is definitely one of my favorite films of SXSW. If you’re in Dallas, you can catch it at the Dallas International Film Festival next week. Plus, you’ll have the best worst song ever stuck in your head for a week afterwards.
