A road-tripping family needs to spend the night at a local family’s house in the middle of nowhere without possibly knowing what is going to happen.
It changes the rules, but how effective is it? Structure-wise, it cuts right to the chase, building no suspense whatsoever. While that is not effective, everything else from then on is. The twist comes not long after but right in time to pique your interest.
Lowlifes is written and directed in such a manner that I can’t say much without giving away the best parts. I’ll tell you this, though… stereotypes are meant to be broken, and Lowlifes does that quite well. Despite the ineffective opening sequence, writer Al Kaplan and directors Tesh Guttikonda and Mitch Oliver do a pretty good job balancing class, values, morals, taboos, patriarchy, and… cannibalism.
This is an underrated horror that deserves the attention of every horror fan out there. Given its minimum budget, the result is profound and highly effective. Your emotional balance will be constantly switching until all is revealed to everyone involved. On top of everything, Amanda Fix, Matthew MacCaull, Brenna Llewellyn, Elyse Levesque, Josh Zaharia, Cassandra Sawtell, and the rest of the cast do a great job in front of the camera. Lastly, the ending will… well… you’ll see how you’ll feel when you get there.
You might find Keith and his family’s morals funny or think that they serve as comedy within the horror, but they are not funny, and they don’t serve that. Think of American Psycho (2000) and Patrick Bateman. When you apply specific values in your personal life and act in such a manner in society, while it creates a comedic effect, it also speaks volumes about mental state, societal norms, and, to a certain extent, national identity. Think about it.
For those who think that low budget means peanuts, check the end credits till the end and see how many have worked on a low-budget production like this. Congratulations to Tubi and all of the crew for contributing to this film. And all of them who contribute to every film we watch.
Thanks for reading!
Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!
Stay safe!