The Loved Ones (2009)

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Good start, but then it gets ruined

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Looks can be deceiving. I had this movie at the top of my watchlist for about five years and finally watched it. I had heard it was good but always avoided it for some reason. Now, I've seen it and things will never be the same again! A major balls-to-the-wall Aussie horror joyride, hang on to something, anything, because when it takes off it never stops! The lead villainess, Lola, is someone you don't root for, at all, you keep hoping for her violent demise, she's just that EVIL! Highly recommended, tons of twists and shocks and all that fun stuff, I audibly gasped several times and howled in surprise too. More like this, please!

I really do hope someone had as much fun making this, as I did watching it. The loved ones puts it's own spin on the teen horror cliché that has been made over and over again in the last fifteen years. From the moment the film begins, it only tells what you need to know; instead of dwelling on the characters relationships that are really just factors in the movie's later overall presentation. It does come to a rough start, however. Nothing that will take more than ten minutes of screen-time, but some segments regarding prom are unnecessary to say at the least (the best friend). Once it takes off, The loved ones is a triumph for it's genre. A horror movie can only be as good, if it's still a good movie when you're not scared. In this particular instance I was not, but instead I was baffled at the horror I was presented. The loved ones treats it's lead, Brent, as the source of the story; you the viewer sees what Brent sees, and that's where the story comes into it's own. It's fun, self-aware, and in some of it's best minutes of screen time, it was realistic. I give it a 8.6, rounding to a 9.

A delightful surprise that packs in enough violence, gore & humour to satisfy the blood- thirsty fans of horror cinema, The Loved Ones arrives as a breathe of fresh air in the torture porn subgenre of horror that never discards its story or characters when revelling in unflinching brutality and is further uplifted by a downright deranged performance from Robin McLeavy.The story of The Loved Ones follows Brent, a high-school senior who blames himself for an earlier accident which resulted in his father's death, has turned to recreational drugs since then, and his only source of happiness in life is his girlfriend Holly. But his real nightmare is set in motion when he politely refuses an invitation for the prom night, offered by another student named Lola.Written & directed by Sean Byrne, The Loved Ones marks his feature film debut and it is by every means a sensational start to his filmmaking career. Byrne's direction is commendable for he remains in control of every aspect of this film, knows where to draw the line and what part to not neglect. And he also makes sure that the emphasis stays on the characters rather than focusing entirely on the new means of torture.The technical aspects are wonderfully executed and play a vital role in setting the desired ambiance which is consistently maintained till the very end. Camera is expertly used with fitting colour tones, lighting & some clever angles complimenting its imagery while the creepy score further amplifies its sinister mood. But the real highlight is the performance from Xavier Samuel & Robin McLeavy, with the latter turning Lola Stone into one of the most intimidating horror villains in recent memory.On an overall scale, The Loved Ones is a blood-soaked Australian horror that gets as nasty, barbaric & disturbing as one expects it to but unlike other examples of its genre, it features a highly gripping storyline, compelling characters & ingenious use of horror elements. The subplot plays no role in the final outcome but it helps in bringing the balance back into the picture whenever there's an overdose of sadistic, prolonged torture. Vicious, relentless, entertaining & satisfying, The Loved Ones is by every means a welcome entry in the horror genre and is absolutely worth your time & money.

This Movie Was amazing. Let that be my opening statement. I just finished watching it and i am terrified, excited, and amazed all at once. Let me start by telling the plot. So this is basically about a father and daughter that work together to kidnap guys and torture them. They kill some, but turn the others into these weird zombie-like creatures. They do some real messed up stuff to the protagonist. Including nailing his feet to the ground, and drilling a hole in his head so they can pour boiling water in the hole. Its crazy. Yet extremely enjoyable. At first, the movie started out kinda funny, and then took a gloomy turn, which i won't spoil even though i labeled this as containing spoilers. I did that to be cautious. Anyway, this film was great and i highly recommend it. There is a very satisfying ending. I gave this a 10 for many reasons. One of which being how much this surprised me. It was refreshing. It managed to be a good horror film without falling into the saw formula. Yes, it had some mindless violence. But it managed to be original, and creative in its ways. That is what separates this from your "Run of the mill" saw film. Also, no disrespect to saw films, i happened to really enjoy them. Although they got awfully repetitive. Anyway, as i said, i highly recommend this.