Loners is a 2019 satire about an ensemble of eccentric loners caught in the middle of “The War on Loneliness”, a program created by politicians to stem the growing tide of violence.
‘Loners’ in modern society get a bad rap, the descriptor often attached to how man-on-the-street-types seen on the news sum up their limited association with killers behind mass shootings. It’s become so common – nearly cliché in fact – you might even remember a movie with Christian Slater called He Was A Quiet Man, centered on a loner who planned such an act of violence before, well, I won’t spoil it. Either way, the shut-in archetype is now synonymous with this kind of sudden aggression and as such, is ripe for a further skewering.
Enter director Eryc Tramonn and writer Neil McGowan‘s newest independent release, Loners, which takes a seriously sharp poke at the issue, for the most part producing what should be a 3-minute skit and stretching it into a full length, often very funny, feature.
It’s the close future and the government is taking action against the rise in mass shootings by implementing a ‘War on Loneliness’ by identifying ‘loners’ across the country and forcing them to wear headbands with a big ‘L’ on the forehead. These are electronically monitored, and offenders are registered and must notify neighbors of their lonely behavior (people are encouraged to say hi and visit often). However, as the operation proves ineffectual, the government forces a group of tagged loners into (woefully bad) therapy in an attempt to justify their actions, but it’s soon clear a secret plan is in place to abduct them for nefarious reasons and now the loners must do what they hate the most, join together to prove they are normal.
The premise is absolutely ripe for a sturdy jab and surprisingly, it holds up, even when you’re sure it’s not sustainable in the least. Mixing in a number of well-worn tropes in the spy and conspiracy genres with those oddball group therapy movies, Loners thrives in the details where it continually earns laughs from the smallest moments. There are some truly good bits that find legs long after it seems they shouldn’t.
The cast features a collection of quirky types, including shoe salesman Lincoln (Brian Letscher), gardner Tanner (Tyson Turrou), disillusioned dad Ed (David Christian Welborn), former TV star Senise (Melissa Paladino), an inept counselor (Keith Stevenson) and more, all trying to figure out what’s happening (look for veteran character actor Stephen Tobolowsky in an extended cameo). Naturally, some are not who they seem and the film manages to stitch together a funny and satisfying satire that actually keeps up some suspense along with a clever story.
While the whole thing may not make for the deep slice perhaps it aims for – the film never quite as thickly cynical of say movies like Network or Bob Roberts – it does do some very good things in delivering a fast-paced and well-written take on an unfortunate social norm. It’s never not interesting and keeps its momentum to an earned end with a few unexpected twists that aren’t entirely unpredictable but well-staged. It’s good fun with an inspired cast and plenty to make it worth a watch. Recommended.