In Desperation, we saw a crazed Ron Perlman arrest and imprison innocent bystanders for having the audacity to be in his small Nevada town. Things start to go a little off the wall from there, but in that first act, the wild behavior of Perlman and the desperate situations that these victims found themselves in captivated me. I needed to know what happened next.
The same can be said for the 2009 film from Australia, The Loved Ones. In this crazed thriller, poor teenage Brent is the victim of a spurned lover. He eventually finds himself tied up, drugged, and in a strange house. What happens afterwards is arguably just as weird as what happened in Desperation, but maybe less cheesy and more brutal and shocking–in the best ways.
Robin McLeavy is tremendous as the rejected, obsessed girl with a certain set of skills. But don’t overlook her family members–particularly John Brumpton as her daddy. The film was equal parts Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Jennifer’s Body, all blended together and poured into a svelte Australian horror film. Definitely check out The Loved Ones if you enjoyed the suspense and thrills of Desperation.
