The Lowdown: Some films stick with you after you watch them. Lovely Molly, directed by Eduardo Sánchez (The Blair Witch Project) is one of those. It is unlike most horror films in that it is a character study of a young woman whose mental state begins to deteriorate as she is confronted with dark secrets from her past. The film is a bit of a mindbender, but nothing is ever spelled out for the viewer; instead, it’s all about the subtleties that leave the viewer thinking, and later hit like a ton of bricks. Lovely Molly also features a brilliant performance by Gretchen Lodge. In all, Lovely Molly isn’t for everyone, but despite its flaws, it is as disturbing and intriguing as some of the better horror films out there.
1. The Plot: Newlyweds Molly (Gretchen Lodge) and Tim (Johnny Lewis) move into Molly’s parents’ house to begin life anew. Molly is a recovered drug addict and Tim is a truck driver, which means that he is often gone from home. Molly begins to sense something in the house, and soon discovers that it is a manifestation of something terrible from her past. Molly begins having lapses in memory and erratic behavior, and as Tim and her sister Hannah (Alexandra Holden) attempt to keep her under control, her behavior becomes increasingly disturbing. As deep, dark secrets are revealed, Molly struggles to keep a grip on reality.
2. The Characters: There are fine performances all around from the small cast, but the standout is definitely Gretchen Lodge, who portrays Molly. Molly is a complicated character with a troubled past that she put behind her, but discovers that when the past is dredged up, she is unable to deal with the trauma. Molly’s behavior grows increasingly unstable and unpredictable as the film progresses. Lodge has a lot to work with, but she nails the performance no matter what Molly’s state of mind is. It’s a courageous and draining performance that was definitely unexpected for such a little-seen horror film.
3. A Tough Watch: Lovely Molly is a disturbing film. Its content is another reason why the film still sticks with me after watching it; there are scenes in this film that I won’t easily forget. Aside from the frightening mental breakdown of the main character, some of her actions are more than just disquieting. For instance, Molly frequently uses a video camera to capture some of the strange occurrences in the house, but sometimes, the camera is used to film the neighbors next door, or a dead deer in the woods. This behavior is more than just a little creepy.
I never said it would be a happy film.
There’s also the issue of the violence in the film, which is unsettling because it is highly symbolic and relevant to the film’s narrative, unlike in a slasher where gallons of blood are spilled unrealistically and comically. I won’t spoil scenes, but there is one certain instance of violence in Lovely Molly which left me cringing because it was so disturbing. It’s good to find a horror film that garnered a physical reaction, but like I said, that was an intensescene.4. Deep, Dark Secrets: Ambiguity permeates Lovely Molly. The underlying mystery is never flat out explained to us via exposition. Instead, the filmmakers slowly reveal the details of the mystery to us via subtleties in the script or through character actions.For instance, the filmmakers do a great job of slowly revealing details of her troubled past. Often, it is only a single line here or there. There is a scene where Molly and Hannah are hanging out after Molly’s birthday celebration, and Hannah smokes a joint. Molly says “Come on, it’s my birthday,” and Hannah offers her the joint. Immediately, Hannah says “No wait! Give it back!” and tries to take the joint back, but Molly has already taken a drag, and Hannah replies “I knew I shouldn’t have done this.” From those few lines alone, we instantly understand that Molly had a drug problem in the past, but has since recovered from it. Immediately afterwards, Hannah says “I can’t believe you moved back into this house,” which slyly hints at problems in the house when Hannah and Molly were children, and which may have ultimately resulted in Molly’s drug abuse. Indeed, childhood trauma is what eventually begins to torment Molly and cause her to slowly lose her mind. The writing is strong in Lovely Molly, and the viewer remains captivated, waiting for the next piece of the puzzle to reveal itself. Indeed, small and seemingly insignificant lines of dialog and character actions hint at something deeper, and as the viewer lets the events of the film stew in his or her mind, he or she becomes increasingly disturbed by what the film is implying. Ambiguity in a story is a risky move. If executed poorly, one is left confused and frustrated. However, if ambiguity cleverly calls something deeper into question, then the uncertainty is more compelling and adds up to something even if all of the puzzle pieces don’t fit. With all that being said, are the events that occur in Lovely Molly the result of a troubled individual? Is it all in Molly’s head? Is it something supernatural? Unfortunately, for those looking for absolute closure, the film doesn’t actually provide an answer. It’s one of those films that requires a second viewing, since the first viewing may result in head-scratching. However, the mystery is intriguing enough to warrant a second viewing. Lovely Molly doesn’t lack meaning, but it’s smart enough to make the viewer think.
The Bottom Line: Lovely Molly is a thinking man’s horror film, leaning more towards being a psychological thriller. It’s not for everyone, given that the mystery is largely ambiguous and that the ending may divide audiences. It’s a different kind of “scary” that many would be used to, although that was part of what I liked about the film; the fact that it was different.
Lovely Molly is property of Amber Entertainment and Haxan Films. This review was written by me.
Like the review? Feel free to post a comment or a suggestion!Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/filmaholicreviewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FilmaholicRvews
Copyright © Filmaholic Reviews, 2013
