Life is tough for a down on his luck Mexican wrestling masked hero. Crime fighting doesn't really pay, so El Monstruo is relegated to thug duty. The conflicted good guy is a complex character, eager to carry on his family tradition (daddy was a famous luchador), but with a baby on the way, he stoops to henchman duties for local crime boss Teddy to pay the bills, usually with uncontrollably violent results.That's plenty for plot, but this film throws in a heaping helping of parallel story lines for a rather convoluted viewing experience. Major events are replayed through different characters, and alternate angles, resulting in some much needed clarity, as everything comes together nicely, and not so nicely in the end.The very seedy side of L.A. is the backdrop here, where illegals are funnelled towards horrific futures as prostitutes, or donors for a lucrative organ harvesting operation, or both. Grisly, old school gore movies are referenced as is some of Tarantino's spicier moments, but "Lowlife" works best on it's own originality: tackling very big global topics with local struggles. "Lowlife" struggles from the usual low budget issues, mainly uneven performances - Teddy is too wooden - but the clever, spiderweb tale, wild sequences, and quirky characters make up for it: here's a newly released convict with a full face Swastika tattoo, who is refreshingly likeable. No, really.

Ryan Prows' thrill ride of a movie "Lowlife" is an absolute mind-bender, so hold on to your seat and save your judgements till the ride is over... and maybe even then, take some more time to consider the judgements you've had all your life about that person on the street or that person struggling with addiction or just that general oddball family member. We're all human after all and Prows weaves a magical tale that recounts the hero's journey through the common man (or common woman in this case). It's a story as old as time of the human experience, but told with genuine heart... and lots of bloody organs to boot. But Prows has used blood and guts to good effect, and any 1 star reviews of this film clearly didn't take time to look deeper under the gritty surface to understand the truth of what it means to be human and disenfranchised in Trump's "Make America White Again" world. Prows makes us look, and laugh, and cry, and then think, which is unusual in a thrill ride coming out of Hollywood these days.

This is one of those 1 star movies you'll regret giving a chance to. I got fooled by the reviews, which are obviously written by paid shills. Don't make my mistake and avoid this movie like the plague. Talking about directing and cinematography doesn't make any sense when you have a script as atrocious as this one. I'll be honest here, I normally watch movies until the end, even if they are bad but by God, this thing was so incredibly stupid that I couldn't make it until the end. Make yourself a favor and skip this one.

Lowlife is full of fun ideas and great performances of some really compelling odd-ball characters, maintaining a heavy sense of drama throughout yet frequently delivering comedic riffs. It's a wild and thrilling story from start to finish. My movie of 2017 so far, and I expect to see it many times again once it becomes available.