The beauty of a psychological drama is that it can be easily considered a sub-genre of horror, given the disturbing elements involved in the storyline. Thus is what The Lay of LaLa Land is all about…emotional and traumatic abuse and the horrific outcome of those dynamics.

Based on the book of the same name, it opens with Lenny, a very young boy who has been traumatized by his surroundings. His sexy new stepmom who likes to tease him, creating shame amongst his peeping ways, his psychologist father who is quick to throw a punch to keep things in order, and even watching a duck being gang raped by a multitude of male ducks without much notice to others, mold Lenny into an uncomfortably aloof young man. He is in a shell of his own creation, unable to escape and accept the norm.

Then Lenny is approached by the stunningly beautiful Jane and his world plummets into complete turmoil of dysfunction and calamity. Jane not only plants herself into Lenny’s delicate life, but she impacts him in a way which is beyond unfamiliar and that scares him to the core.

The character of Lenny is so complexed yet so simple – he wants to be with Jane, but on his “normal” terms without her incessant focus on the tasteless goal she has contracted for herself: to break the gang-bang record of 500. Although undetermined as to why she is so committed to this endeavor at the time, Lenny is incessantly drawn to Jane in hopes of guiding her away from this self-destruction.

David Lohnes (Lenny) is not only convincing as the confused and awkward college student, but he portrays the character with the determination of unlocking the traumatic secret being harbored by Jane. Was she ultimately a victim of incest similarly to most porn stars? Is she completely broken without any source of redemption?

While Lenny and Jane mill over their complicated relationship, the “bang” event host and bully porn star P. Terrence Pecker, encapsulates every scene by inciting terror upon young Lenny so as to dissuade him from influencing Jane to break this abhorrent contract. Pecker (Daniel DeWeldon) commands your attention with his sleazy yet polished persona, able to captivate all into his odd world of titillating enterprise. It’s wacky, weird and absolutely brilliant.

The Lay of LaLa Land doesn’t fit the typical mode of a bleak and repulsive horror flick, however the disturbances come to light as the story of Jane opens up into a shocking revelation which changes Lenny forever.