The Loved Ones

An Australian riff on Misery, The Loved Ones follows rebellious teenager Brent (Xavier Samuel) as he prepares to attend an important school dance – with trouble ensuing as he’s kidnapped by a fellow student (Robin McLeavy’s Lola) and held captive for reasons that initially aren’t made entirely clear. The promising nature of the movie’s set-up seems as though it’s going to be squandered at the outset, as filmmaker Sean Byrne emphasizes the almost unreasonably quirky nature of Lola’s existence (eg her off-kilter relationship with her demented father). The campy atmosphere, which is just a little too reminiscent of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, is exacerbated by the puzzling decision to have Brent remain silent for the duration of his ordeal, and it becomes increasingly impossible to believe that he wouldn’t once ask Lola just what she’s up to. There eventually does reach a point at which The Loved Ones becomes far more engrossing than one might’ve expected, however, as Byrne offers up a series of gleefully over-the-top gore sequences that effectively capture the viewer’s waning interest. The film thereafter establishes itself as a fast-paced, downright fun horror-movie ride that’s ideally suited to its Midnight Madness slot, although it’s admittedly difficult not to question the inclusion of an entirely useless subplot detailing the ongoing exploits of Brent’s best friend (ie it seems like the two storylines are going to converge at some point, but this never happens). Still, The Loved Ones, despite its thoroughly uneven sensibilities, stands as an above-average debut for promising new filmmaker within the horror genre.

*** out of ****