We are back in Australia for Day 20 of our K-O-Ween 31 Days of Halloween feature as we are taking a look at Sean Byrne’s The Loved Ones. It’s prom night and Lola doesn’t have a date. That means bad things are in store for one unlucky guy.
Australia has put out some fantastic horror over the years. They might just be the most underrated horror producing nation on earth. One thing I notice with Australian horror is that it is often extremely violent and often very grim. The Loved Ones is extremely violent, it is also very grim.
The thing that separates The Loved Ones from a lot of other Australian horror, however, is just how funny it is. It offers up a unique sense of dark humour that will tickle you at numerous parts of the movie. Without further ado, let’s take a look. As always, I will give a quick breakdown of the movie so feel free to skip that if you like.
The Loved Ones (2009)
The Loved Ones kicks off with teenager Brent, played by Xavier Samuel, being approached by odd girl Lola (Robin McLeavy) and asked to accompany her to prom. Brent politely refuses, telling Lola that he already has a date, his girlfriend Holly (Victoria Thaine). Brent is a bit of an edgy sort and his homelife is complicated. Heading out to a local beauty spot for some edgy guy thinking time. Someone appears behind Brent and knocks him unconscious.
Little does he realise, Brent has just been kidnapped and, luckily for Lola, he is just in time for the prom. When he wakes up, he is tied to a chair in a house that is set up with a disco ball, decorations, and prom banners. He is wearing a suit and his beautiful date is mere moments from making an appearance. Whether or not he will be part of the prom king and queen couple will be the least of his worries with the night Lola has in store for him.
Another Excellent Australian Horror
Australia really does put out some fantastic horror. The Loved Ones is another fine example of this. I would say, however, that The Loved Ones is the least Australian feeling of the Australian horror movies that I have seen. I think there are clear influences from American horror here, more so than other Aussie horror. The Loved Ones is the evil love child spawned by Lucky McKee raw dogging Tarantino while they watch The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It is stylish, horrifically brutal, sharp as a tack and hilarious to boot.
Presenting the viewer with a serious story of grief before repeatedly piling heaps of bullshit onto the main character; it never really lets up. Rarely do horror movies craft a character with such a traumatic back story only to sit them on a chair and torture them for hours. That is exactly what The Loved Ones does. It aims to shock and amuse the viewer and it does both on a number of occasions.
It is a daring in its disregard for horror convention and “fairness”. The Loved Ones is brutal and it is completely unashamed of what it is. Consistently prodding the bear and throwing in more and more absurd moments, purely to make the viewer laugh. Byrne offers up an antagonist that is hugely charismatic and absolutely twisted and almost dares the viewer not to enjoy every scene she is in. All of this while crafting a tale of trauma, grief, isolation and depression that has you believing it will go in a completely different direction from the one it does. It’s an incredibly fun movie.
So Aussies Love Torture?
Those Australians sure love their violent horror. I almost feel dirty mentioning movies like Wolf Creek, Hounds of Love, and Snow Town when discussing this subject as they are based on real life criminals. But the sheer brutality of them stays with you long after watching. The Loved Ones will, likely, do exactly the same. This is a gory and wince inducing movie.
Brent is subjected to a significant amount of torture throughout The Loved Ones and Sean Byrne doesn’t hold back at all. He toys with the viewer constantly and offers Brent hope only to take it away seconds later. There is some very graphic detail here and some scenes that will likely make you grit your teeth. It is a brutal movie and even somewhat creative in how it delivers that brutality. My partner and I have watched it a number of times and are still shocked by some of the scenes.
It goes without saying that the torture element is at the forefront for much of the movie’s 84 minutes. The camera shots indulge in the trauma caused by Lola. An antagonist who enjoys every second of what she is doing. Characters spend a significant amount of time building anticipation before delivering on the promise of violence in a horrifying way. The injuries inflicted look extremely realistic and nothing is done with a hint of cartoon exaggeration.
The maniacal nature of Lola and just how much she seems to be enjoying herself has you terrified for what she might do next. She is an unrelenting monster and has absolutely no sympathy for her victims. She aims to cause only pain and is very good at it.
Horror Comedy Gold
We can’t mention the violent torture without bring up the comedy, though. The Loved Ones is legitimately hilarious in parts. This really shouldn’t work as well as it does. Someone being subjected to a ton of violence should make for a pretty bleak movie but there are so many funny moments here. Lola is legitimately hilarious at times. The camera work and character reactions only add to the comedy. The timing is perfect.
There is a lot of focus placed on Brent’s friend Jamie, played by Richard Wilson. He has managed to grab a date with a big tiddy goth girl, Mia played by Jessica McNamee. Nearly every scene they are in is played almost entirely for laughs. It is reminiscent of something from an American Pie movie or Superbad and should be fairly out of place in a movie like this. It’s actually, however, a much needed relief from the brutal torture element of the film. Jamie had me laughing my arse off on a number of occasions and Mia is the perfect straight woman for him.
It could be argued that the comedy perhaps takes away from the serious nature of the movie. Some of the scenes featuring Mia and Jamie are maybe an unwanted distraction from what is happening with Lola and Brent. We do lose a little of the action so we can check up on the two. It is possible that this breaks up the flow a little but, in my opinion, it is completely worth it.
Creatively Filmed and a Standout Performance
As I mentioned above, The Loved Ones is a stylish movie. There are lots of creative camera shots and interesting ways to highlight character’s emotions. Closeups of Lola laughing maniacally perfectly highlight how insane she is and there are some fantastic editing methods use to reflect Brent’s suffering.
The grimness of the home where the violence takes place contrast brilliantly with the hot pink of Lola’s dress. It creates a nice visual representation of the dichotomy between the way Lola sees herself and the horrific crimes she commits. Glitter and streamers adorn a poorly cared for home in a serious state of disrepair. It makes for a striking visual.
There is one scene in particular where a bright pink stereo, old and covered in dirt, plays a song about unrequited love. This serves as a perfect introduction to Lola herself given her cute aesthetic yet hideous personality. Her dad calls her princess and that’s exactly how she sees herself.
This brings me nicely on to the performance of Robin McLeavy as Lola. She is absolutely fantastic and portrays a maniac incredibly well. You entirely buy into the idea that she is a dangerous girl who can’t be compromised with and is doing this just for fun. Certain scenes featuring her laughing and full of joy at harming Brent are simply brilliant. She is the star of the show and a big part of me wishes the movie was 15 minutes longer just so that we could see more of her.
Should You Watch The Loved Ones?
If you enjoy comedy horror and have a soft spot for maniacal girls who just can’t take no for an answer. You should definitely watch The Loved Ones and join Lola for prom night. It is hilarious, brutal, disgusting, menacing and a massive amount of fun. One of my favourite horrors and one of the best movies to come out of Australia in the horror genre. Definitely check it out.
