The survival instincts of a road-tripping family are put to the test when they have no other choice but to stay the night at a remote homestead. A film by Tesh Guttikonda & Mitch Oliver, starring Amanda Fix, Matthew MacCaull, Brenna Llewellyn, Richard Harmon, Alexander Calvert, Elyse Levesque, Josh Zaharia, Ben Sullivan, and Kevin McNulty.

Keith (Matthew MacCaull) and Kathleen (Elyse Levesque), a couple from Calabasas, take their daughter Amy (Amanda Fix) and son Jeffrey (Josh Zaharia) on their annual countryside vacation. They pull over at an empty spot by the road, where Keith fires up the grill to cook some steaks. Amy, however, isn’t thrilled about the trip. She complains that she’d rather be in Coronado with her friend Blair, enjoying her break like a normal person. When Keith calls Amy over for her steak, she claims she’s still full from breakfast and wanders off for a walk. Once she’s away from her family, Amy sneaks a joint from her ALTOIDS Classic Peppermint Breath Mints tin and lights up.

As the family finishes packing up to continue their trip, a pickup truck pulls up next to their RV. Two local men, Billy (Ben Sullivan) and Vern (Richard Harmon), climb out and approach. They claim to be searching for Melior (Todd Masters), Billy’s cousin and Vern’s brother-in-law. The pair explain that they found Melior’s truck in a ditch about 30 miles back and ask if Keith’s family has seen him around. However, Keith responds that they haven’t seen him, since they’re just passing through, and attempts to leave, insisting they’re already behind schedule.

As Amy returns from her walk, Vern spots her and notices her curiosity about the strangers talking to her family. He directs the same question about Melior to her, but Keith quickly interjects, claiming Amy couldn’t have seen anyone since she’s been with them the whole time. Vern, picking up on the lie, points out that Amy just appeared out of nowhere.

This comment unsettles Keith, who, now worried for Amy’s safety, tells her to get inside the RV. Sensing Keith’s unease, Vern pushes further, suggesting they take a look inside the RV as well. This crosses a line for Keith. Visibly agitated, he cuts the conversation short, insisting they’re done here and need to get back on the road.

Further down the road, Keith’s family encounters Vern and Billy again. Their pickup truck has broken down, blocking the way. Kathleen, spooked by the earlier encounter, urges Keith to drive off-road to bypass the truck. Keith points out that their RV isn’t a four-wheel-drive vehicle. As Vern approaches, Keith notices the shotgun in his hands. Vern asks if they’d give Billy a lift home so he can fetch another car to come back for Vern. Keith hesitates, still wary after their previous interaction. Despite his misgivings, he reluctantly agrees to let Billy ride along in the RV.

Once in a while, a film comes along that defies genre conventions. LOWLIFES, the directorial debut of Tesh Guttikonda and Mitch Oliver, based on an original screenplay by Al Kaplan, does just that. It skillfully blends horror, thriller, and comedy elements into a slasher film that keeps viewers guessing with its unexpected twists and turns.

LOWLIFES stands out as one of the best slasher films of 2024. The cast delivers stellar performances, bringing their roles to life with credibility and chemistry. I highly recommend going into this film blind – the less you know, the better. It’s full of surprises.

While it’s not the first film to show events through the antagonist’s eyes (I recently watched IN A VIOLENT NATURE, which does something similar), LOWLIFES sets itself apart. Its combination of striking cinematography, visceral yet realistic imagery, gripping dialogue, unsettling soundtrack by Jordan Andrew, and an exceptional cast that feels genuinely human elevates it above the rest.

LOWLIFES was released on streaming service Tubi in the United States on 11 April 2024.

Tubi is an American ad-supported streaming service that offers a wide variety of movies and TV shows for free. Launched on April 1, 2014, and headquartered in San Francisco, California, Tubi is owned by Fox Corporation since its acquisition in 2020 for $440 million. The platform is designed to provide users with access to content without requiring a subscription, relying instead on advertisements to generate revenue. Tubi boasts a library of over 40,000 films and television series from various providers, including major studios like MGM, Paramount, and Lionsgate. As of May 2024, it had approximately 80 million monthly active users.

The film was made available on Crave in Canada on 10 May.

Crave is a Canadian subscription video on demand service owned by Bell Media, originally launched as CraveTV in December 2014. It offers a wide array of content, including original programming from Bell Media, HBO, and Starz, as well as a selection of movies and TV shows from various international suppliers. Crave provides access to over 800 movies and 550 TV shows, featuring popular titles from HBO such as Game of Thrones, Succession, and True Detective, alongside Crave originals and other theatrical releases.