LKMYNTS: Lo.

Apparently, most people found this film via Netflix suggestions with high ratings and watched it through Instant Streaming. Count me in on that list. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. In some ways I'm glad, but in others... I would have liked a forewarning.

Lo tells the story Justin (Ward Roberts), a boy who summons a demon named Lo (Jeremiah Berkitt) to help him find his girlfriend, April (Sarah Lassez), who just recently got kidnapped by a demon herself. Justin is unable to leave the confines of his very small pentagram circle, while Lo plays mind games with him on the outside, unable to enter... which is good, considering Lo would quickly make a meal of Justin, whom he has renamed "Dinner."

The movie sounds like a horror film, but it isn't. Sure there are some pretty creepy elements, but for the most part, this film is a dark comedy... a very dark comedy considering that most of the film takes place in a pitch black room. Seriously, the film begins as Justin lights the candles around his pentagram to begin summoning Lo, and all you can see is Justin and the circle. Throughout the film Lo will create mental projections (from Justin) that are showed as cheesy stage plays off to the side (more on those in a minute), but besides things like that, the set is pretty simple.

The stage plays, as I mentioned, are kind of off to the side of the black room... or area... or whatever it is. They're supposed to be reenactments of scenes from Justin and April's relationship. But what makes them funny is how cheesy they are--from the cheesy acting to how the actors will go "off stage" and smack a behind-the-scenes worker if they're not doing something right or not paying attention. And these moments are really fun.

The highlight of the film, however, is the demon Lo himself. From the way he looks to his snarky comments to his ultimate twist at the end of the movie, Lo is a fascinating creation. His looks are amazing. The costuming and makeup department on this film did a phenomenal job. He was creepy, disturbing, and realistic. The actor that played him, as well, did a great job. The voice fit perfectly, and the way he said the lines, going from "RAR" to snark with almost no transition, was hilarious. Whenever Lo wasn't on screen (and there are times, sadly), I was always wanting him to come back already. And, as I said, there is a twist near the end that pretty much caught me off guard (as the whole point of the plot is trying to figure out Lo's game toward Justin and why he's acting the way he is).

But the film is not without its downsides. There's quite an infamous scene, apparently, that most viewers either love or hate. While I didn't abhor it, I was definitely on the more negative side. There's a scene where a waiter takes quite a few minutes dancing around as he's making a drink. For those of you who watch Nostalgia Critic, the whole time all I could think of was "BIG LIPPED ALLIGATOR MOMENT!" It was just so random and I couldn't help but feel there was absolutely no purpose to the scene. Thankfully, there was purpose to the drink being made, but still absolutely no purpose to the stupid dancing. Also, there were some Comedy/Tragedy drama faces during the "play" scenes that were a bit too cheesy and over-the-top. And not to mention the "this is going on a bit too long" musical number from a second demon in the film (and, unfortunately, it seemed all the costuming budget went to Lo, as the second demon looked lame in comparison). However, the positive far outweighed the negative, as these bizarre moments of the film were few and far between.

Overall, the film is essentially a stage play on film. Seriously... it could easily be portrayed on a stage (a few things tweaked here and there, of course, to help with the same actor having to play more than one part at a time, such as during the "play" sequences). But it's a unique film that is really fun and entertaining. The character design is great. The acting bounces between cheesy and really good (but I think it was intentional). The comedy is good. And there are actually some really creepy moments. Some people complain about bad dialogue, but it didn't really bother me, to be honest. If you're up for a really good dark comedy about demons that's in a limited, dark setting with a fair amount of (purposeful) cheese, definitely check this one out. While I can certainly understand it not being a film for everyone (and even how some of the aforementioned negatives can outshine the positives for some), it's one I definitely plan on checking out again (and again).


A Keanu 'Whoa'

(P.S. How cool is that poster?)