Lowlifes Review (2024)

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Lowlifes is a Tubi exclusive horror movie that is worth a watch
Lowlifes is a Canadian horror movie directed by Tesh Guttikonda, and the cast includes Amanda Fix, Matthew MacCaull, Brenna Llewellyn, Elyse Levesque and Josh Zaharia.

My Thoughts On Lowlifes

Why did I even click on a Tubi original horror movie in the first place? 

Curiosity, mostly, but Lowlifes surprised me surprised me, especially in how confidently it opens, where there's a chase through the woods, stripped of context, from something we’re not allowed to see yet, but the movie doesn’t linger on that moment for long before shifting gears and introducing a family arriving to camp in the same stretch of woods.

We have Keith, the dad, who comes off as rigid and hyper-prepared, glued to the barbecue like it’s a responsibility he can control, while Kathleen balances him out as the more emotionally present parent, someone clearly trying to keep the peace. 

Amy is the teenage daughter, brings the expected resistance and attitude, though I didn’t find her unbearable, which is usually my concern with that character type, and Jeffrey, the younger son, feels sincere in his need for approval.

Just as we get comfortable with this family setup and anticipate the usual horror movie clichés, we meet two local characters, Vern and Billy who are out looking for their missing brother, Melior.


Lowlifes breaks away from typical expectations, turning a story that seems to be about city people terrorized by country folk into something entirely different and this shift in the narrative adds a welcome layer of unpredictability hat keeps you guessing, and the characters feel fairly engaging, even as things spiral into chaos, as they fully embracing the film’s dark and twisted journey.

I won’t spoil anything, but the twist comes early on, changing the game and making the story even more unpredictable and from this point on, the movie evolves into a gritty and intense experience, with every character pushed to their limits and the gore is substantial and pretty well-executed, adding to the overall impact without overwhelming the plot, and it's a film that takes a hard left turn and says fuck you I don't give a shit about your expectations.

The performances are pretty good tii, where Matthew Macaull does a really solid job grounding his character before things start to spiral, and manda Fix stood out even more to me, though, as her take on Amy has a sharp emotional awareness to it, and she handles the film’s turns with a a restraint of control

Brenna Llewellyn also deserves credit for how much she commits physically to her role, pushing through some genuinely demanding moments, while Richard Harmon, despite limited screen time, manages to leave a strong impression just by being himself. 

The cinematography also makes smart use of the location, really emphasizing how cut off these characters are, especially in how often the framing reinforces that sense of being trapped, with little visual relief or open space. 

And that’s where Lowlifes surprised me the most, as somewhere along the way, it stopped behaving like the movie I assumed it would be, where it toys with familiar setups just long enough to lull you into thinking you know where it’s headed, then veers off and seems almost amused by that assumption. 

The pacing does stumble in a few spots, and there were moments where the dialogue felt a bit strained, like it was reaching for something sharper than it actually was.but nothing unbearable.

Lowlifes could have played it safe and followed a familiar template, but instead it takes risks, mixes humor with cruelty, and commits to its weirdness, where it knows what it wants to deliver and follows through. 

The twist is genuinely effective, and for something that came out of nowhere for me, Lowlifes ended up being a sharp, entertaining ride that’s well worth the time.