The Loved Ones comes out of Australia and is more of a psychological thriller, but can be classified in the "torture-porn" sub-genre of horror. Audition is one of my favorites and I was actually quite a bit more impressed with this one. Although Audition is still more cringe-inducing. I cringe every time I hear "Kiri, kiri, kiri, kiri" or "deeper, deeper, deeper, deeper" from Audition. This one had a similar sort of "mantra" and it was "We can't hear you!"
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| A "We can't hear you!" moment *cringe* |
Anyway, this little gem comes from Australia and is written and directed by Sean Byrne and is his first feature-length film. The story revolves around Brent and Lola. Just like Molly Ringwald in Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink, Lola will stop at nothing to get the guy she wants. But in a much more psychotic way. When she asks Brent to the prom and he politely turns her down since he is already going with his girlfriend, Lola is not happy. Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets - with the help of her equally psychotic daddy. But this film is not just about the torture. It is witty, intelligent, darkly funny and disturbingly believable. Lola is indeed "pretty in pink" in a very scary way. Moments throughout the film will literally put you on the edge of your seat. All of the acting was pretty superb, but Robin McLeavy as Lola stole the show. It seems hard to pull of a good psycho bitch, and boy howdy did she do it! Of course, none of it would be so great without a well-written script and outstanding direction. I see good things in Sean Byrne's future if he continues to write and direct this well. Any horror fan that likes a bit of gore, but can appreciate a well made movie with a bit more substance, will enjoy this one.
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| Prom queen and king |
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