Welcome home. It's time I looked at a cult Aussie movie, huh? Writer-director Sean Byrne's The Loved Ones (2009) opens with teenagers Brent (Xavier Samuel) killing his father in a car crash, and then plunging into a grief-fuelled guilt trip. Keeping him going is Holly (Victoria Thaine), his girlfriend and date to the upcoming school dance. But as the big day nears, the quietest girl in school, Lola Stone (Robin McLeavy), also asks Brent out, but he declines. BIG mistake.
EFX Magazine described The Loved Ones as Pretty in Pink meets Wolf Creek, and that's quite accurate. This wickedly entertaining slice of Aussie horror is so gleefully tongue-in-cheek and macabre it would give Quentin Tarantino an orgasm. Byrne spent several years financing this as his feature debut and that was fortuitous, as his narrative control, visual cues and embellishments and music selections are all so assured and fitting. He gets strong performances from his whole cast as well, most notably McLeavy, who brings Lola's vindictive violence to life with relish but also lets us see the lonely little girl underneath, and John Brumpton as her equally demented and very protective Daddy. There's also an hilarious subplot with Brent's awkward mate Jamie (Richard Wilson) and his own ice-queen dance date Mia (Jessica McNamee, equally relishing her chance to counter her PC Packed to the Rafters image as a truly horny bitch).
Obviously, The Loved Ones is not a flick for the whole family, and that's even without the very brutal violence. But if you're a horror comedy nut, or you were bullied at school (in both cases like me), it should tickle your fancy endlessly.
And I promise, you will NEVER listen to Kasey Chambers' Not Pretty Enough in the same way ever again.
And I promise, you will NEVER listen to Kasey Chambers' Not Pretty Enough in the same way ever again.
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