'The Loved Ones' is a well-made film, but it's also hollow, nasty and frustrating. It takes a developed, sympathetic character and subjects him to an array of torture and humiliation at the hands of Lola and 'Daddy', a vile father/daughter serial killing partnership.
The film drew significant parallels with 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre', a film I like. The difference between the two is that 'The Loved Ones' is far crueler, the protracted scenes of humiliation and violence left me utterly indignant. 'Chainsaw Massacre' is also an iconic, genre defining piece of work - this film is merely one of its many imitators.
Full of tension, suspense and eventually unflinching brutality, tough films such as the fellow Australian horror 'Wolf Creek' serve as an endurance test. They're straightforward and not particularly good, but they do have a purpose, albeit a doubtful one. Although 'The Loved Ones' has all of these things to a certain extent, it is an exasperating experience. I derived only negative emotion from watching an innocent character being tied to a chair and tortured. Indeed, Lola and 'Daddy' became such reprehensible characters that no come-uppance would be satisfying enough. My growing bloodlust would have only been satiated if I'd been able to jump into the frame and exact my own brand of horribly spiteful justice.
The effect the film had on me is clearly a testament to its power. There's no doubt that it's taut, well made and well-acted, but 'The Loved Ones' is ultimately an exercise in frustration and indignation.
