Review by Chris Rennirt
Back in 1999, director Eduardo Sánchez took the horror world by storm, giving us not the first found-footage film, but certainly one that changed everything–The Blair Witch Project. Twelve years later, in 2011, Sanchez returned as director and writer, along with cowriter Daniel Myrick, to give us Lovely Molly–another breakthrough film using found footage as supplements, mixed with objective perspectives and a sometimes unsteady, found-footage feel. The result is yet another horror tale that, like The Blair Witch Project, scared the sh*t out of me. So, why has it taken me eleven years to review Lovely Molly? I’m not sure. Too many movies, too little time…perhaps. Or, has the subconscious mind possibly put off, with intention, something more sinister? Fears better left unknown?
Molly (Gretchen Lodge) and Tim (Johnny Lewis) in Lovely Molly
What’s it all about? Molly (Gretchen Lodge) is a woman with a troubled past who, after recovering from drug addiction, mental trauma, and abuse marries her high-school sweetheart and movies back to the family home–a home filled with memories better left forgotten. A big mistake this is for Molly, but a big fortune it is for fans of horror. To say that things don’t turn out as planned is far from a spoiler. Lucky for us, characters in this genre never know what’s best for them.
Gretchen Lodge (as Molly) gives Sharon Stone a run for her money (or her legs) in Lovely Molly
Lovely Molly caught me by surprise, by chance rather than intent. I watched it knowing nothing about it, not even having seen a trailer. I expected the typical hauntings, noises in the night, slamming doors and apparitions, something like in Paranormal Activity (although I do love that movie). I was, however, pleasantly surprised to see much more–a haunting story with complexity, spiraling ever deeper into lust, madness, and evil. Ever darker secrets and mysteries are revealed along the way, dragging you deeper with them. “Pleasantly surprised,” you were to see such “lust, madness, and evil” you ask? Of course, this is horror!
Tim (Johnny Lewis) nurses a loving flesh wound, in Lovely Molly
Gretchen Lodge gives Molly a school-girl innocence at times, later making her intense, dangerous, and even evil. Lodge even makes Molly a slut to remember in a particular scene. (Sharon Stone uncrossing her legs in Basic Instinct is the only movie parallel I know.) Disturbingly seductive, she captivates with character contrast and boldness, even cruelty, chilling to watch. Her transformations back and forth, throughout, from eerily calm to utterly insane, are mesmerizing. Bravo, Gretchen!
“Whatever happens, it wasn’t me.” ~ Molly
Lovely Molly is another movie that is really best watched, as I did, knowing very little to nothing about it. That is why I’ve been intentionally cryptic and vague in this review, trying my best to avoid spoilers. It is the unexpected directions of the plot that make Lovely Molly ironically fresh and riveting from beginning to end, despite its familiar elements. Just when I thought I knew what was happening, what would happen next, and where it was all going, I didn’t.
Gretchen Lodge delivering a bloody-good performance in Lovely Molly
Movie critic Moira MacDonald, from the Seattle Times, wrote this about Lovely Molly: “If the people in it behaved in a logical way, then there wouldn’t be a movie.” Although I rarely post comments from other critics for debate, I will respectfully do so here. I agree that people behaving in illogical (and sometimes even idiotic ways), is the downfall of many horror films. Because of dumb character actions–for example, not leaving a clearly dangerous, life-threatening place when possible–a movie loses credibility and unravels as one not to be taken seriously. While it can be a knee-jerk reaction to think that everyone can and should always see the writing on the wall (the ghosts in closet, the demons in the walls, etc.), it is important not to overlook what some writers do include as an out for their characters–an out allowing them to persist in the presence of danger and evil and give us a movie. Anyone who looks closer at Lovely Molly will see just such an out (and, in the rest of this paragraph, there may be SPOILERS). In the beginning, common sense is used, but is overruled by human error and dismissed as anything supernatural. Who really jumps to such conclusions anyway? It would be even more “illogical” to do that. The possession that overtakes Molly is gradual, intermittent and ambiguous at first, easily attributed to other issues, such as drug abuse and repressed memories. She is responsibly taken to a doctor by those who love her and found to be okay; commitment to an institution is resisted for logical reasons well explained. Possession of the worst, most thorough kind is sudden and complete after a point too late, before common sense or reason have a chance to commandeer anyone’s decisions. I was very careful, as always, to give the writers the benefit of the doubt, finding such clever inclusions where they are. And, indeed, in Lovely Molly, they are there for the finding, if only you look for them. Bravo again!
Were no animals unharmed in the making of Lovely Molly? I’m not sure.
If you watch Lovely Molly, be sure you watch the documentary footage in the DVD extras: “Path to Madness,” “Haunted Past,” “Demonic Forces,” and “Is It Real?” They are far more than the usual behind-the-scenes fluff and promotional hype thrown in as fillers. Each of the four segments is a powerful follow-up to the film, adding rich, additionally-frightening backstories and history for the characters (some you’ve never heard of) and the house as well. With the 99-minute film and extras, you’re looking at a good two hours of frightful fun!
Gretchen Lodge (as Molly) in a scene better left to your imagination, for now.
According to information in the DVD extras, Lovely Molly was originally titled The Possession. And what a great decision it was to change it. With a title like that–something so banal and overused–I’m not even sure I would have watched it myself. What a difference a name makes. Lovely Molly draws attention, exactly because of its cuteness as an endearing name, paired and contrasted with the horror of its box art, posters, and trailers. Here, irony creates a perfect, most compelling curiosity.
Lovely Molly (Gretchen Lodge), raw, lustful and hungry–irresistible to men and Satan alike!
Lovely Molly is a deliciously dark descent into evil and madness. For the buffet, real-world and spiritual terrors mix with tangible and intangible manifestations from each. Whether physical, in the supernatural realm or both, it’s a terrifying journey and one I highly recommend. It’s one of the rare movies that makes you look over your shoulder in the dark, and think more carefully about that noise in the night. Of all the movies I’ve seen, there are few that do…and, with those, the adrenalin rushes. As my hands clench and my eyes widen, I say, “Long live horror…and long live Lovely Molly.”
Rocket Rating – 8
Chris Rennirt (the author of this review) is a movie critic and writer in Louisville, Kentucky, as well as editor in chief at Space Jockey Reviews. He has been a judge at many film festivals, including Macabre Faire Film Festival and Crimson Screen Film Fest, and he attends horror and sci-fi conventions often. Chris’ movie reviews, articles, and interviews are published regularly on Space Jockey Reviews and in Effective Magazine. His mission statement (describing his goals as a movie critic and philosophy for review writing) can be found on the “Mission” page, here at SJR. For more information about Chris Rennirt (including contact details, publicity photos, and more), click here.
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