Robin McLeavy didn’t come to “The Loved Ones” with prom drama. In fact, Australia doesn’t even have proms; they have socials, and McLeavy didn’t attend any due to going to an all-girls school. However, she did come to the film wanting to give the main character, Lola, a fair representation. “Mostly, I just wanted to show how lonely and screwed-up this girl was. I just wanted to show vulnerable she was,” she said.

The fact that Lola was the lead in a horror film instead of being a girl who was getting chased also attracted McLeavy. “First and foremost, that she was a female protagonist,” she said. “You don’t often see that in horror films.”

The film has been lauded by horror fans and critics as a fresh, new take on the horror genre, and McLeavy is ecstatic by the response. “I’m so thriled by the amount of people who are celebrating the loved ones since it premiered at Toronto…in 2009,” she said. She gave her fans some advice–“[S]tay away from the power drill if you want to keep your sanity.”

“The Loved Ones” is out on DVD, Blu-ray and digital download now.