The Loved Onescan easily be described as an anti-Valentine’s Day movie. The action takes place before, during, and after a high school prom, so it can also be considered an anti-Prom movie. In fact, viewers can regardThe Loved Onesas patently anti-love. While it’s usually a bright force that saves the day, even in the bleakest horror stories, love is terrifying in this case.
Love motivates evil, leads to pain, and promises a fate worse than death. And even though the film’s “final boy” escapes, there is no love left to celebrate, just the crippling void left by trauma. It’s a coming-of-age story and an absolute nightmare. If you’re down on love,The Loved Onesis the movie to commiserate with.
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InThe Loved Ones: “When Brent turns down his classmate Lola’s invitation to the prom, she concocts a wildly violent plan for revenge.” The film is written and directed by Sean Byrne (who would go on to write and directThe Devil’s Candy, released in 2015).The Loved Onesstars Xavier Samuel, Robin McLeavy, and John Brumpton. It’s one of the most underrated horror movies of the 2010s, one of the best horror movies ever made in Australia, and a great example of “torture porn” that has way more to offer than blood and guts (even though there are plenty).
While Act One kicks off like a John Hughes flick, few cinema-goers will be prepared for the level of depravity reached by the time Act Three rolls around. Brent (played by Xavier Samuel) makes the mistake of turning down an invitation to prom by shy wallflower Lola (played by Robin McLeavy). He had a girlfriend, after all. Still, there’s no way he could have known that this decision would have extreme, life-altering consequences. Unable to take “No” for an answer, Lola enlists her father (played by John Brumpton) to kidnap her would-be beau to create the perfect, private prom night event. What follows is a night of torture, depravity, and even implied incest. What more could you ask for in an anti-Valentine’s Day movie?
The primary plot ofThe Loved Onesis so intense it’s easy to miss the subplot entirely–at least on first viewing. Richard Wilson plays Jamie, Brent’s best friend. On the night Brent is kidnaped by Lola and her father, Jamie takes Mia (played by Jessica McNamee) to prom. Mia is way out of Jamie’s league, and it’s difficult to understand why she agrees to accompany the nerd tosuch a symbolic event in the first place. Jamie is awkward and sincere whereas Mia is sexy and cold as ice. Again, we have all the trapping of a John Hughes-type affair. And while love is what both Jamie and Mia desire, their independent, internal struggles make a true connection impossible. It’s a grounded emotional tragedy amid the film’s relentless violence.
The subplot involving Jamie and Mia is as sad and poignant as the main plot involving Brent and Lola is depraved and terrifying. In both cases, Byrne deftly subverts expectations, creating exceptionally dark material. And while The Loved Ones is filmed with the most abysmal examples of amour, it’s got tons of heart. Even when emotionally decimated, both characters and viewers are determined to persevere. The subject matter is ugly, but the film is cinematic and, frankly, a beauty to behold.
One of the greatest strengths ofThe Loves Onesis its ability to consistently up the horror and intensity throughout. In Act Two, poor Brent is subjected to broken bones, injected with bleach, and forced to eat dinner with a lobotomized woman (Lola’s mother). Viewers might think there’s nowhere left to go after scenes so excruciating—but they’d be wrong. Like the absolute best horror movies, Brent sees potential escape on multiple occasions, only to have the prospect yanked away violently and painfully. Still, everything goes completely bonkers once Lola’s father opens a trapdoor on the floor. What lies beneath is unimaginable and definitely not for the faint of heart.
There are plenty of horror movies that are both romantic and scary for horror fansto enjoy on or around Valentine’s Day.The Loved Onesisn’t one of them. It is, however, a must-watch for anyone looking for top-notch ultra-violence, depraved terror, and soul-crushing drama.
