Lowlife

“What happens when you throw together one fallen Mexican wrestler with serious rage issues, one just-out-of-prison ex-con with a regrettable face tattoo, and one recovering junkie motel owner in search of a kidney? That’s the premise of the berserk, blood-spattered, and wickedly entertaining feature debut from Ryan Prows. Set amidst the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles, Lowlife zigzags back and forth in time as it charts how fate — and a ruthless crime boss — connects three down-and-out reprobates mixed up in an organ harvesting scheme that goes from bad to worse to off-the-rails insane. Careening from savagely funny to just plain savage to unexpectedly heartfelt, this audacious thriller serves up nonstop adrenaline alongside hard-hitting commentary about the state of contemporary America.”

Lowlife opens as ICE Officer Fowler (Jose Rosete) raids a rundown motel rounding up illegal aliens and transporting them to Teddy ‘Bear’ Hanes (Mark Burnham) in which he kills them and harvests their organs, establishing him as the antagonist of the story and a truly evil person.

Next we meet El Monstruo (Ricardo Adam Zarate), a luchador and champion of the people who has fallen on hard times, becoming an enforcer for Teddy Hanes and husband to his adopted daughter Kaylee who is pregnant. Ashamed of what he has become, El Monstruo, once an inspiration to his people, now works against them for Teddy Hanes and he hates every minute of it. After an argument with Kaylee, El Monstruo goes into a blind rage and blacks out. When he wakes, Kaylee is gone and he finds drugs left behind. While he prays to his ancestors for guidance, Officer Fowler interrupts him, beating him senseless, sending El Monstruo into another blinding rage and wakes up at the rundown motel.

The next chapter introduces Crystal (Nicki Micheaux), the owner of the motel who is in desperate need of a kidney for her husband Dan (King Orba). Teddy Hanes informs her that their birth daughter Kaylee whom they gave up at birth due to their drug habit to Teddy has agreed to give up a kidney to Dan. Needing to know why she is willing to give a kidney to people she’s never met, Crystal drives to Kaylee’s house to see her kidnapped by two men. In horror, Crystal drives back to the motel to find a gruesome scene in her apartment. Before she can think of what to do, the men who kidnapped Kaylee have arrived at the motel and want to book a room.

Finally, we are introduced to Randy (Jon Oswald) who has just been released from prison and picked up by his longtime friend Keith (Shaye Ogbonna). After learning of Keith’s involvement with Teddy Hanes, Randy agrees to square Keith’s debt by doing a favor for Teddy, kidnapping Kaylee. These stories finally come to a head as they all intersect at one moment in time with an explosive ending you have to see to believe.

Lowlife comes out of nowhere as one of the better IFC Midnight films I’ve ever seen, providing one hell of a thrill ride from start to finish. It’s smartly written, brutal, and hilarious. What is absolutely stunning about the film is how well rounded each and every character is and is achieved in such a short time with each one. Vastly different from one another, this should be a how-to-guide in how to develop your character and give it dimension.  The shifting in time aspect has been done to death in the past few decades, but here it really does give the film a leg up when it comes to intertwining all the stories together, which all have a common denominator that links them together. Each character is seeking redemption in some kind of fashion: El Monstruo for forsaking his ancestors and his people, and most of all the El Monstruo lineage. Crystal for giving up her child at birth to who she learns is an evil man. Randy for his time in prison, seeking to be seen for who he is and not defined by the tattoo on his face, ultimately accepting a noble responsibility.

Video

Lowlife is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 2.40:1. The transfer is free of any noticeable defects, providing a good balance in color. The palate has almost a sun-bleached tone to it, taking place in the heat of Los Angeles, creating a cool look that definitely plays to the atmosphere of the film. The film also looks grainy, giving it a low budget, and almost seedy feel to it as well.

Audio

The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. The track sounds great, with a good balance between surrounds and the center channel, which is where most of the audio takes place in the form of dialogue. There are moments in the film where the surrounds are heavily utilized, providing some great sequences. The soundtrack also sounds great, complementing the film with a unpredictable but unique track.

Special Features

Definitely recommend checking out these extras. Here’s what you’ll see on this disc.

• Audio Commentary With Director Ryan Prows And Cinematographer Benjamin Kitchens
• Audio Commentary With Director Ryan Prows And Writers Tim Cairo, Jake Gibson, And Shaye Ogbonna
• Making-of Featurette
• Short Films

One of IFC Midnight’s more unique films, Lowlife will be a pleasant surprise to all who watch. The film does so many things right and is a breath of fresh air with some truly original content. This wildly entertaining film deserves any attention it can get and is highly recommended checking out!