Fest #10: The Loved Ones

There has to be a name for the genre of horror films in which an innocent is tortured nearly to death, and when they are just on the brink, either escape or seem to die. They don't really, and come back for even gorier revenge. An early example might be "I Spit on Your Grave." At Fest, we've seen many films like this, but the ones we've seen differ from the more mainstream torture films like the Saw movies. They all have some element that makes the situation even more extreme, but not necessarily in a blood and guts way. In the Loved Ones, a rejected prom date, with the help of her father, kidnaps her prospective date and puts on a prom of her own, although ultimately rejecting our hero and tossing him into the cellar with the other loved ones. As Australian film from 2009, The Loved Ones kept everyone's attention as many are tempted to give in to the nods.