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Love Object
Vitagraph Films
MPAA RATING: Not Rated
Starring
Desmond Harrington,
Melissa Sagemiller,
Rip Torn,
Brad Henke,
Udo Kier,
and
John Cassini
The twisted tale of Kenneth, socially insecure technical writer who forms an obsessive relationship with "Nikki," an anatomically accurate silicone sex doll he orders over the Internet.
| GENRE(S): |
Comedy
|
Fantasy
|
Horror
|
Suspense/Thriller
|
| WRITTEN BY: |
Robert Parigi
|
| DIRECTED BY: |
Robert Parigi
|
| RELEASE DATE: |
DVD: July 13, 2004
Video: July 13, 2004
Theatrical: February 13, 2004
|
| RUNNING TIME: |
88 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: |
USA |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
80
Film Threat
Eric Campos
This is a great little thriller with some genuinely creepy moments.
75
Christian Science Monitor
David Sterritt
Violence Hitch would have found way beyond what's necessary. Horror fans will find effective shivers, though.
63
Chicago Tribune
Robert K. Elder
While some pedestrian camerawork and spotty acting from supporting players deflate Love Object, it has enough juice - and a surprising twist - to keep fans of the slow-burn horror genre enthralled.
60
Los Angeles Times
Manohla Dargis
Parigi -- who's clearly made a close study of Alfred Hitchcock's obsessions and has watched a fair share of intelligent horror perched between cheekiness and Grand Guignol (think "Re-Animator") -- succeeds nicely.
60
TV Guide
Ken Fox
Of course, no creepy movie worth its salt would be complete without an appearance by Udo Kier, and Parigi doesn't disappoint: Kier appears as Kenneth's louche, hookah-smoking next-door neighbor and, as always, is a disturbing delight.
60
The New York Times
A.O. Scott
The modestly assembled Love Object... is only periodically derailed by its tone; Mr. Parigi sometimes overplays the humor in the midst of all the deadpan.
60
Variety
David Rooney
While the premise has possibilities for some creepy, pulpy fun, writer-director Robert Parigi brings too little style or humor, instead going a more obvious, overwrought route.
60
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Noel Murray
Love Object's plot is reminiscent of Guy Colwell's underground comic-book series "Doll," only Colwell dealt more with sex toys as emblematic of the systematic objectification of women, while Parigi just uses the concept for a bunch of weird shocks, dark laughs, and a fairly repellent twist ending.
50
Village Voice
Joshua Land
Utilizes horror movie jolts to plumb male control-freakishness.
50
Salon.com
Charles Taylor
By the end of Love Object a dorky loner who wants a rubber sex doll at his beck and call seems a lot less objectionable than a director who wants a talented flesh-and-blood actress at his.
50
New York Daily News
Elizabeth Weitzman
Unfortunately, the patina of witty satire eventually gives way to a gratuitous sadism that makes this sordid story feel like a fraud.
50
Chicago Sun-Times
Roger Ebert
The movie turns cruel and ugly, and hasn't paid the dues to earn its last scenes. Parigi had me there for a while, but when he lost me, it was big time.
40
LA Weekly
Chuck Wilson
What's missing is any sense of why such a handsome man is afraid of women. That makes the premise hard to swallow, especially since Harrington is too commanding to be a believable dweeb. The actor does achieve moments of pathos, only to be undone by a silly script.
40
Chicago Reader
J.R. Jones
Sicko horror flick.
40
The Hollywood Reporter
Frank Scheck
Unfortunately, Love Object, which uncomfortably totters from psychological suspense to black comedy to pull-out-the-stops horror, never quite lives up to its bizarre premise, and despite its audacious subject matter, it will even have difficulty attaining future cult status.
38
New York Post
Lou Lumenick
Horror-movie vets Harrington ("Wrong Turn") and Sagemiller ("Soul Survivors") struggle unsuccessfully with characters who are frequently more plastic than Nikki.
20
Washington Post
Mark Jenkins
The sort of clumsy undertaking that trips up everyone and everything in it.
20
Austin Chronicle
Marc Savlov
Feels so depressingly vacant that it registers less as a film than as a pointed lesson in what not to do in the wacky world of non-traditional dating. Hasn't anyone in this film heard of Friendster?
0
San Francisco Chronicle
Carla Meyer
Misbegotten mess.
 The average user rating for this movie is 10.0 (out of 10) based on 3 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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