The Loved Ones (film)

Last updated

The Loved Ones
The Loved Ones film poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Sean Byrne
Written bySean Byrne
Produced by
  • Mark Lazarus
  • Michael Boughen
Starring
CinematographySimon Chapman
Edited byAndy Canny
Music by Ollie Olsen
Production
companies
Distributed by Madman Films
Release dates
  • 13 September 2009 (2009-09-13)(TIFF)
  • 4 November 2010 (2010-11-04)(Australia)
Running time
84 minutes
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
Budget$4 million [1]
Box office$358,399 [2]

The Loved Ones is a 2009 Australian horror film written and directed by Sean Byrne in his feature directorial debut. It stars Xavier Samuel, Robin McLeavy, Victoria Thaine, Jessica McNamee, Richard Wilson, and John Brumpton. The film follows a teenage boy who finds himself at the mercy of a classmate's demented party after he declines her offer to attend the school dance.

Contents

Plot

High schooler Brent is driving with his father Dan when a bloodied man appears in the middle of the road. Swerving to avoid the man, Brent crashes his vehicle into a tree, accidentally killing his father. Six months later, Brent politely turns down Lola Stone's invitation to the school formal in favor of his girlfriend Holly. Lola secretly watches the two having sex in Holly's car and how she then fellates him. Guilt-ridden over his father's death, Brent has turned to self-harm with a razor blade hidden in his necklace. At home, Brent's mother Carla insists on him taking a taxi rather than ride with an inexperienced Holly. Brent leaves his house and goes to a nearby cliff. He briefly contemplates suicide, but changes his mind. As he listens to music, someone knocks Brent out.

Brent wakes up bound to a chair. His captors are Lola and her father Eric, who have decorated their house in imitation of a prom. The three are sat at a table along with a lobotomized woman they call Bright Eyes. Lola injects Brent's voice box with bleach, destroying his vocal cords making him unable to scream or talk. She begins to humiliate him, experiencing arousal in the process. Brent frees himself and runs outside, but is re-captured by the sadistic father and daughter, who pin his feet to the floor with knives. Lola shows Brent a scrapbook with photos of her past victims. Brent recognizes Timmy Valentine, the bloodied man who caused his crash. Timmy turns out to be the brother of Mia Valentine, the prom date of Jamie, Brent's best friend. Lola then brands Brent by carving her initials onto his chest and sprinkling salt on it. After Eric crowns Lola prom queen, she admits having incestuous feelings for him. The two dance and almost kiss before Brent interrupts them.

Eric opens a trapdoor on the floor, revealing a basement cellar with the previous abductees still alive. Lola drills a hole through Brent's skull and prepares to lobotomize him by pouring boiling water into the hole. Brent manages to free himself again. He attacks Eric with his hidden razor blade and stabs him with one of the knives he pulled out of his feet. He pushes Eric into the cellar, where the starving and now deranged (and presumably lobotomised) captives tear him apart. An unhinged Lola pushes Brent into the cellar and throws everything she can get her hands on at him. Brent finds a flashlight and a hammer among the thrown objects and uses them to defend himself against the captives. Lola then smothers Bright Eyes - who turns out to be her mother - with a pillow, out of jealousy.

When Brent does not show up to the date, a worried Holly informs Mia's father, a police officer. He enters Lola's house, where Lola kills him with a meat cleaver. Lola taunts Brent, saying she will kill Carla as revenge for her father, and kill Holly for breaking her heart. After she leaves, Brent climbs out of the pit using the pile of corpses. As Lola walks on the road, she sees Holly approaching in her car. She throws her scrapbook at the windshield, and attacks Holly, who flees on foot. Brent arrives in the police car and runs over Lola. Holly clambers into the police car and is shocked to see Brent; the two embrace tearfully. A severely injured Lola approaches the car. Brent reverses the car, striking Lola in the head and crushing her skull. Brent and Holly arrive back home, where a shocked Carla embraces her son.

Cast

Production

The Loved Ones is the first feature film for short filmmaker Sean Byrne. [3] The Ambience Entertainment production was completely shot in Melbourne, Victoria, including interior school scenes shot at Box Hill Senior Secondary College and Kew High School. [4] The film stars Xavier Samuel, Jessica McNamee, Robin McLeavy, and Richard Wilson. [5]

It was originally given an R18+ rating by the Australian Classification Board, but through an appeal by the Review Board, the film's rating was successfully replaced by an MA15+ rating due to the comedy aspect of the film mitigating both the sadistic aspect and the impact of the violence.

The original soundtrack was composed by Australian experimental musician Ollie Olsen. Other bands and musicians whose songs are featured in the film include Cosmic Psychos, Sophie Koh, Kasey Chambers, Parkway Drive, British India, Witch Hats, Little Red, and Little River Band. [6]

Release

The film screened at several festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival on 13 September 2009 [7] and the Hong Kong International Film Festival on 3 April 2010. [8] In America, it was screened at the AFI Fest on 31 October 2009, [9] the San Francisco International Film Festival on 2 May 2010, [10] the 2010 Dallas International Film Festival, [11] and the 2010 SXSW Film Festival. [12]

Home media

The first DVD copies were released in the United States in November 2009 over the American Film Market. [13] The Loved Ones ran in a limited theatrical release in the US. On 1 June 2012, the film was shown in Austin, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. [14] Paramount Pictures and Insurge Pictures distributed the film in its US theatrical release.

While Paramount did release their own DVD copy of the film in both unrated and an R-rated versions, a Blu-ray of it has yet to be released in the United States. The film debuted on Blu-ray in the United Kingdom on October 8, 2010, in a Region B–locked disc. [15] The film debuted on Blu-ray in Japan on August 5, 2015, in a Region free disc, though it lacks any extras aside from two trailers and is now out of print. [16]

Reception

On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, The Loved Ones earned a rating of 98% and an average score of 7.24/10 based on 56 reviews. The site's consensus for the film reads, "Successfully mixing the conventions of the teen and horror genres with a twist, Australian director Sean Byrne makes a striking directorial debut with The Loved Ones." [17] This film ranks 49th place on the site's Top 100 Horror Movies list. [18] The film has been lauded for its tongue-in-cheek approach and its main twist towards the end of the film. It won the Cadillac People's Choice Award - Midnight Madness in 2009. [19]

Accolades

AwardCategorySubjectResult
AACTA Award (1st) Best Original Screenplay Sean Byrne Nominated
Fangoria Chainsaw AwardBest Actress Robin McLeavy Nominated
Best Makeup/Creature FXJustin DixNominated
Fright Meter AwardBest Horror MovieMichael BoughenNominated
Mark LazarusNominated
Best DirectorSean ByrneNominated
Best ScreenplayNominated
Best ActressRobin McLeavyNominated
Best Supporting Actor John Brumpton Nominated
Best Ensemble CastNominated

Real-life crime

In March 2013 at Chester Crown Court, Judge Elgan Edwards described a sadistic torture murder as a re-enactment of a scene from this film. During sentencing, Judge Evans described the defendant, Gary George, as particularly liking The Loved Ones. The victim, Andrew Nall, was brutally beaten, sustained 49 knife wounds, and had cleaning fluid found in his eyes. George was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 30 years. [20] [21]

Related Research Articles

<i>Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!</i> 1989 film by Pedro Almodóvar

Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! is a 1989 Spanish dark romantic comedy film co-written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar, starring Victoria Abril and Antonio Banderas alongside Loles León, Francisco Rabal, Julieta Serrano, María Barranco, and Rossy de Palma. The plot follows a recently released psychiatric patient who kidnaps an actress in order to make her fall in love with him. He believes his destiny is to marry her and father her children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franka Potente</span> German actress (born 1974)

Franka Potente is a German actress. She first appeared in the comedy film After Five in the Forest Primeval (1995), for which she won a Bavarian Film Award for Best Young Actress. Her breakthrough came in 1998, when she starred in the acclaimed action thriller Run Lola Run, for which she won a BAMBI Award for Best Actress. She received further critical acclaim and a Bavarian Television Award nomination for her performance in the television film Opernball.

<i>Audition</i> (1999 film) 1999 film by Takashi Miike

Audition is a 1999 horror film directed by Takashi Miike and adapted by Daisuke Tengan, based on the 1997 novel by Ryu Murakami. Starring Ryo Ishibashi and Eihi Shiina, the film is about a widower, Shigeharu Aoyama (Ishibashi), who stages a phony audition to meet a potential new romantic partner. After interviewing several women, Aoyama becomes interested in Asami (Shiina), whose dark past affects their relationship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose Byrne</span> Australian actress (born 1979)

Mary Rose Byrne is an Australian actress. She made her screen debut in the film Dallas Doll (1994), and continued to act in Australian film and television throughout the 1990s. She obtained her first leading film role in The Goddess of 1967 (2000), which brought her the Volpi Cup for Best Actress, and made the transition to American cinema with a small role in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002), followed by bigger parts in Hollywood productions of Troy (2004), 28 Weeks Later (2007), and Knowing (2009).

<i>Repulsion</i> (film) 1965 British film by Roman Polanski

Repulsion is a 1965 British psychological horror thriller film directed by Roman Polanski, and starring Catherine Deneuve. Based on a story written by Polanski and Gérard Brach, the plot follows Carol, a withdrawn, disturbed young woman who, when left alone in the apartment she shares with her sister, is subject to a number of nightmarish experiences. The film focuses on the point of view of Carol and her vivid hallucinations and nightmares as she comes into contact with men and their desires for her. Ian Hendry, John Fraser, Patrick Wymark, and Yvonne Furneaux appear in supporting roles.

<i>The Gorgon</i> 1964 British film by Terence Fisher

The Gorgon is a 1964 British horror film directed by Terence Fisher and starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Richard Pasco and Barbara Shelley. The screenplay was by John Gilling and Anthony Nelson Keys. It was produced by Keys for Hammer Films.

<i>Humongous</i> (1982 film) 1982 Canadian film

Humongous is a 1982 Canadian slasher film directed by Paul Lynch, and starring Janet Julian, John Wildman, and David Wallace. The story centers on a group of young adults who become stranded on a deserted island, where they are stalked and murdered by a monstrous assailant.

<i>The Crow: Wicked Prayer</i> 2005 film by Lance Mungia

The Crow: Wicked Prayer is a 2005 American superhero film directed by Lance Mungia, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jeff Most and Sean Hood, based on the 2000 novel of the same name by Norman Partridge, which in turn was based on the comic book character The Crow created by James O'Barr. It is the standalone sequel to The Crow: Salvation (2000) and the fourth installment in The Crow film series. The film stars Edward Furlong, Tara Reid, David Boreanaz, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Dennis Hopper, Marcus Chong, Tito Ortiz, Rena Owen, Danny Trejo, and Macy Gray.

<i>Troll 2</i> 1990 film by Claudio Fragasso

Troll 2, is a 1990 independent dark fantasy horror film written and directed by Claudio Fragasso under the pseudonym Drake Floyd. It stars Michael Stephenson, George Hardy, Connie McFarland and Jason Wright. The plot follows Joshua Waits as he tries to save his family after the spirit of his deceased grandfather warns him that the town of Nilbog, which the family are spending their vacation, is inhabited by goblins who turn people into plant matter to eat them. It is the second installment of the Troll film series.

<i>Funny Games</i> (1997 film) 1997 film by Michael Haneke

Funny Games is a 1997 Austrian psychological horror-thriller film written and directed by Michael Haneke, and starring Susanne Lothar, Ulrich Mühe, and Arno Frisch. The plot involves two young men who hold a family hostage and torture them with sadistic games in their vacation home. The film was entered into the 1997 Cannes Film Festival. A shot-for-shot remake, filmed and set in the United States, was released in 2007, also directed by Haneke, this time with an English-speaking cast and a mostly American crew.

<i>Fade to Black</i> (1980 film) 1980 film by Vernon Zimmerman

Fade to Black is a 1980 American psychological horror comedy film written and directed by Vernon Zimmerman, and starring Dennis Christopher, Eve Brent and Linda Kerridge. It also features Mickey Rourke and Peter Horton in minor roles. The plot follows a shy and lonely cinephile who embarks on a killing spree against his oppressors while impersonating classic film characters.

<i>Trick r Treat</i> 2007 American film by Michael Dougherty

Trick 'r Treat is a 2007 American anthology horror film written and directed by Michael Dougherty and produced by Bryan Singer. The film stars Dylan Baker, Rochelle Aytes, Anna Paquin and Brian Cox. It relates four Halloween horror stories with a common element in them: Sam, a trick-or-treating demon wearing orange footie pajamas with a burlap sack over his head. The character appears in each story whenever one of the other characters breaks a Halloween tradition.

<i>All the Boys Love Mandy Lane</i> 2006 film by Jonathan Levine

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane is a 2006 American slasher film directed by Jonathan Levine and starring Amber Heard, Michael Welch, Whitney Able, and Anson Mount. The plot centers on a group of popular high schoolers who invite an attractive outsider, Mandy Lane, to spend the weekend at a secluded ranch house, where they are followed by a merciless killer.

<i>Coffin Rock</i> 2009 Australian film

Coffin Rock is an Australian melodramatic thriller film directed by Rupert Glasson and produced by David Lightfoot. The movie stars Lisa Chappell, Robert Taylor and Sam Parsonson.

<i>Life as We Know It</i> (film) 2010 film by Greg Berlanti

Life as We Know It is a 2010 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Greg Berlanti, starring Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel. It was released on October 8, 2010, after sneak previews in 811 theaters on October 2, 2010. It was a financial success at the box office.

<i>A Horrible Way to Die</i> 2010 American horror film

A Horrible Way to Die is a 2010 American horror film directed and edited by Adam Wingard, written by co-producer Simon Barrett, and starring A. J. Bowen, Amy Seimetz, Joe Swanberg, Brandon Carroll, and Lane Hughes. The story follows an escaped serial killer as he chases down his recovering alcoholic ex-girlfriend who is responsible for his incarceration. The film had its world premiere at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival Vanguard program where it was picked up for distribution by Anchor Bay Entertainment. It also played at Fantastic Fest where it received three major awards: Best Screenplay for Simon Barrett, Best Actor for A. J. Bowen and Best Actress for Amy Seimetz.

<i>Curse of Chucky</i> 2013 American slasher film by Don Mancini

Curse of Chucky is a 2013 American slasher film and the sixth installment of the Child's Play franchise. The film was written and directed by Don Mancini, who created the franchise and wrote the first six films. It stars Fiona Dourif, Danielle Bisutti, Brennan Elliott, Maitland McConnell, Chantal Quesnelle, Summer Howell, A Martinez, and Brad Dourif. The film grossed $3.8 million in DVD sales.

<i>Horns</i> (film) 2013 film by Alexandre Aja

Horns is a 2013 dark fantasy mystery comedy horror film directed by Alexandre Aja from a screenplay written by Keith Bunin, based on the 2010 novel by Joe Hill. It stars Daniel Radcliffe as a young man falsely accused of murdering his girlfriend, who uses his newly discovered paranormal abilities to uncover the real killer.

<i>The Scarlet Worm</i> 2011 film

The Scarlet Worm is a 2011 American Revisionist Western film directed by Michael Fredianelli. The film was first released on January 7, 2011 at the Riot Cinema Film Festival. It stars Aaron Stielstra as a young mercenary who is sent to assassinate a cruel brothel owner. Funding for The Scarlet Worm was partially accomplished through a successful Kickstarter campaign.

<i>A Banquet</i> 2021 British horror film

A Banquet is a 2021 British horror film directed by Ruth Paxton and written by Justin Bull. The film stars Sienna Guillory as widowed mother Holly, whose husband, the father of her daughters Betsey and Isabelle, died by suicide. One night, Betsey has what she believes to be a supernatural experience, that results in her refusing to eat.

References

  1. ↑ "The Australian Film Institute: Pink Glitter and Blood: Horror goes Glam in The Loved Ones". November 2010. Archived from the original on 10 October 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  2. ↑ "The Loved Ones". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  3. ↑ Gray, Scott A. (4 October 2012). "The Loved Ones". Exclaim! . Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  4. ↑ "Trailer Debut: The Loved Ones". Dread Central. 9 July 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  5. ↑ Tiff ‘09: The Loved Ones Archived 28 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ "Loved Ones OST". WOW HD . Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  7. ↑ "Official Promo One Sheet For 'The Loved Ones'". Bloody Disgusting . 5 October 2009. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  8. ↑ "Sean Byrne's THE LOVED ONES released in 2010". 24FramesPerSecond.net. 18 December 2009. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  9. ↑ "News Release - AFI Fest 2009 Presented by Audi Announces Halloween Programming Featuring "The Hole" in 3-D, "The Loved Ones," "Wake in Fright," "Best Worst Movie"" (PDF). Los Angeles: AFI.com. 29 September 2009. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  10. ↑ Sykes, Crystal (22 April 2010). "The San Francisco International Film Festival Is Here!". SF Appeal. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  11. ↑ Bell, Mark (19 March 2010). "2010 Dallas International Film Festival Announces Its Full Schedule". Film Threat . Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  12. ↑ Sciretta, Peter (3 February 2010). "SXSW 2010 Feature Film Line-Up Announced". /Film . Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  13. ↑ Allen, Michael (13 November 2009). "The Loved Ones Finishes Production". 28 Days Later Analysis. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  14. ↑ Zimmerman, Samuel (2 May 2012). "Put on your party dress, "THE LOVED ONES" is out this June; Release details!". Fangoria . Archived from the original on 15 November 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  15. ↑ "The Loved Ones Blu-ray (United Kingdom)".
  16. ↑ "The Loved Ones Blu-ray (Japan)".
  17. ↑ "The Loved Ones - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes .
  18. ↑ "Top 100 Horror Movies". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster . Retrieved 11 February 2014.
  19. ↑ Knegt, Peter (19 September 2009). ""Precious" Tops Toronto Winners". IndieWire . Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  20. ↑ "'Sadistic' horror film fan jailed for Chester murder". BBC News. 25 March 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  21. ↑ "Killer Gary George Copied Film The Loved Ones". Sky News. 25 March 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.