The Lost Boys (1987) User Reviews

Great 80s fun!

[jluis1984 · 7/10 · 3 August 2006]

There are many films about vampires, but one that is almost always remembered with a shy smile on the face is definitely "The Lost Boys". As one of the best remembered films of the 80s, this movie has become part of pop culture and a defining film for that period as it showcases most of what was cool or hip in that decade. While its status as "horror classic" has a lot to do with the nostalgic factor, it's an entertaining film on its own right and its modernization of the vampire myth along with its tongue in cheek humor still make for a charming and funny session of pure mindless entertainment.

The movie begins with Lucy Emerson (Dianne Wiest) as she moves to Santa Clara, California, with her two teenager sons, Michael (Jason Patric) and Sam (Corey Haim) after a bitter divorce. In Santa Clara, Michael becomes involved with a local gang of bikers who have a dark and mysterious secret while Sam becomes friends with two weird boys who claim that the town is being invaded by vampires and its their mission to get rid of them. As Michael begins to act strange, Sam suspects that his brother has become one of the undead and begins to take his friends seriously.

Directed by Joel Schumacher, "The Lost Boys" is a movie that effectively combines a cool and attractive look with a simple but entertaining plot resulting in a successful and charming film. The story modernizes classic elements of the vampire myth and adapts it to its time with intelligence and definitely tongue in cheek humor. In fact, this self-aware comedy approach is what makes the film enjoyable, and it relies more on fun and laughs than in actual scares. The plot is rather simple, and lacks some character development, but it makes an interesting (although also quite simplistic) analogy between the troubles of youth and becoming a vampire.

Visually the movie looks great, although by now it has that dated nostalgic look of a past decade. Still, the flamboyant visual composition fits perfectly in the film's time and context and it is one of the films biggest assets. Schumacher's fluid and energetic camera-work makes the movie flow at with a nice rhythm and the movie never becomes dull or boring.

The cast is very effective and everyone makes a great job. Corey Haim is remarkably good and while he may not be a good actor, in this film he is perfect for the role of Sam. Jason Patric is less lucky and he is overshadowed by the very talented Kiefer Sutherland, who steals every scene with his charm and presence. Jami Gertz gives a somewhat forgettable performance but veterans Dianne Wiest and Edward Herrmann are both excellent in their roles and have some funny lines.

"The Lost Boys" suffers a lot from its own self-referential nature, it looks old and severely dated by now even when it's 20 years ago when it was released for the first time. The cleverly written plot is very entertaining, but somehow the lack of character development and the comedy take on the story make it to never reach its full potential. The premise is quite interesting but the "Lost Boys" theme is never fully explored leaving at a nice but a bit shallow experience.

Definitely most of the charm of "The Lost Boys" is due to nostalgia, as the movie is now basically a time capsule of the 80s. However, it is hard to deny that despite being what one would call a "popcorn movie", in its time it was an intelligent, original and fresh take on vampires. While it may not be a landmark of horror of a life-changing experience, "The Lost Boys" is one of those films that will definitely deliver what they promise: a healthy dose of mindless entertainment.

The 80s

[PedroPires90 · 8/10 · 5 January 2022]

The 80s, boy! I've never lived it but nobody can convince me that is not the best decade ever.

Look how fun, funny and unpretentious the films for teens and young adults were. No need for 100 cameos or a gigantic connected universe. Just pure fun and an honest story. Love it. ❤

a classic film and one of the best vampire movie I've seen

[JacksonW0523 · 7/10 · 13 June 2020]

The premise of this movie is great. I love Santa Carla and how it portrays the "beach culture" and the "punk culture." If you want to see nostalgia for the 80s this is the movie to watch. The chemistry between the two main characters, Sam and Michael is great. The film blends comedy and horror perfectly. Kiefer Sunderland was great as the antagonist. It portrays teenage vampires as cool and not cheesy. There was also a little twist at the end which I thought worked.

When you're strange...

[minipistola · 7 July 2003]

I loved this film as a kid and it has always stayed at the top of my vampire genre list, you could bet I was plenty surprised when I found out that this little jewel of 80's cinema was directed by the now yawn worthy "Phone Booth" helmer, Joel Scumacher (the man who massacred the "Batman" franchise).

The best element of this movie is that fact that it doesn't take itself very seriously, but in no way does that effect the relative creepiness of the main storyline. The makeup is top notch, as are the special effects and the acting is a perfect fit to the context of the film. Yeah, Corey Haim may not be a Dean or Brando, but he is pitch perfect as the annoying little brother who talks big and runs fast in the face of trouble. Jason Patrick is as good as an actor could possibly be in a role that requires very little character development but the big star here is Kiefer Sutherland who channels his "scary bad boy" look into a character who is as fun to watch as he is frightening. Rounding out the rest of the cast is Dianne Wiest as the sweet mother, Corey Haim and Edward Hermann as the vampire killing duo Edgar and Alan (a cute Poe reference) Frog and 80's movie staple Jamie Gertz as the gypsy-esque Star.(sidenote: Yes that is Alex Winter of "Bill and Ted" fame as one of the lesser vampires)

The film has many memorable scenes including the vampire initiation and the scene where Patrick first approaches his brother in vampire form. Though the 80's fashion and music are powerful throughout they borderline overdone and are still enjoyable. Plotwise the set up is acceptable: Wiest and her two sons(Patrick and Haim) move into her father's house in Santa Carla, California, a quaint little beach side town that has been suffering from a high homicide rate. While mom looks for a job the boys look for something to do, Patrick setting his sights on the alluring Star and Haim settling into the local comic den, both fail to notice the ridiculous amount of "MISSING" posters on the walls. Patrick is led astray by a group of youths who like to drag race and hang out in a cave, eventually peer pressure rears its ugly head and soon enough Patrick is one of them. Then he finds out exactly why they only hang out after dark.

Full of great one liners and comedic performances (Barnard Hughes is great as the eccentric taxidermist/grandfather) "The Lost Boys" is a film showcased by the small touches: we still have the usual vampire yarn, but the youthful overtones create a different effect. Yes its 80's but its damn fun to watch. Schumacher creates a film that is not only a fun take on vampires but a creative take on teenagers and their neverending trek to belong.

Reccommended to those who have a sense of humor and enjoy vampire films.

8 out of 10.

Michaellllll

[eoinpgeary · 7/10 · 5 October 2022]

The Lost Boys was fun!! I had no idea what to expect from this movie going in all I knew was it was a vampire movie.

Schumacher created a fun and vibrant little town and I enjoyed it, the movie was cast really well and this is what a vampire movie should feel like in my opinion.

The score and visuals hold up ! I really like the costumes too. I think the kids were definitely the show grabbers for me. They were funny and acted business as usual which I found entertaining too.

I found it odd that people were basically aware of the vampires and nothing was done about it

The movie isn't perfect but it is fun and I do recommend seeing it to judge for yourself.

The Bat Pack

[rooprect · 9/10 · 20 February 2017]

Every decade or so, a film will come along with a cast of nobodys and do marginally well... only to become a cult classic years later when all the "nobodys" are megastars. Sure, people will watch this movie for the thrill of seeing a 20-something juvenile delinquent played by Kiefer Sutherland ("24"), or a 30-something mom played by Dianne Wiest ("Life in Pieces") or a nubile, teenage Jami Gertz ("The Neighbors"), but as you're star shopping you realize, wow, this actually is a cool flick. And here's why...

"Lost Boys" was one of the first, and in my opinion best, movies to successfully bridge horror with adventure, comedy, and apologetically 80s fashion sense. It's as if you took The Exorcist and threw it in a blender with Labyrinth, Weird Science, and Duran Duran's wardrobe closet.

Speaking (not) of Duran Duran, an iconic 80s band that's unfortunately missing from the soundtrack's lineup, there's quite an assembly of awesome 80s bands like INXS ("Good Times", "Laying Down the Law"), Echo & the Bunnymen (covering The Doors "People Are Strange"), Aerosmith & Run DMC ("Walk This Way"), Lou Gramm from Foreigner ("Lost in the Shadows") and Roger Daltrey from The Who (covering Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me"). This flick has it all.

The plot is another huge innovation, almost a quarter century before we'd see the young GQ vampires in the Twilight series, here we have probably the first time in vampire film history where vampires are young good looking teens & tweens, as opposed to the creepy, twisted Nosferatu image that started it all. This is especially effective because the transformation from teen heartthrobs to terrifying bloodthirsty maniacs is a powerful contrast that plays upon our very intrigue with the dark inherent sexiness of vampirism. And call me crazy, but their pre-goth look has aged extremely well. Bear in mind, most of the people in the theater watching this movie in 1987 were wearing parachute pants and pastel colored Izod golf shirts with the stupid collar turned up. I plead the 5th on that.

One quick note on the look of the vampires. Notice how their fangs are done... VERY creepy. Unlike the traditional wolf-like "Dracula" vampire who has sharp canine teeth (3rd pair from center), and unlike the "Nosferatu" rat-faced vampire with incisor fangs (center pair), these creatures of the night are sporting elongated bicuspids (2nd pair from center). I don't know why but this freaked the heck out of me when I was a kid and it still does. Maybe it's because, unlike wolves & rats, there is no natural animal who has sharp bicuspids so the vision is especially "unnatural". Who knows.

I'm going to return to an earlier point regarding the crossover between horror, adventure & comedy for a minute. This cannot be overstated. In the bonus interviews, the director talks about how the producers and corporate suits were confused if not terrified at the concept. But luckily the artists' vision prevailed, owing a lot to improvised comedy on the set (the "Frog brothers" absolutely stole the show). Again, why is this significant? Because just when you think the movie might be bordering on melodramatic cheese, it makes fun of itself in a very overt way, and you realize that even if you don't buy the outlandish concept of, say, a bunch of high school kids becoming world class vampires, that's OK. Because the filmmakers don't necessarily buy it either, and that's why the movie is peppered with some outrageously awesome lines like: "My own brother, a goddam, sh!t-sucking vampire. You wait 'till mom finds out, buddy!" So really, if these examples haven't been enough I'll spell it out. "Lost Boys" was a groundbreaking film in its look, its sound, its attitude and yes, even its story which has a very nice surprise twist or two. Other 80s flicks like "Fright Night" and "Vamp" did admirably well and are worth seeing, but I have to say "The Lost Boys" is the one that got everything right.

Watch this movie if you're in the mood for a good horror flick, or a good adventure, or a good comedy, or if you want to hear some cool tunes, or if you're running low on ideas for the next Halloween party. Just don't drink the blood punch. (Watch the movie and you'll see what I mean)

"YOU'RE DEAD MEAT!"

[joelgodinho · 7/10 · 19 July 2020]

The Lost Boys is a 1987 horror comedy directed by Joel Shumacker and starring Jason Patric, Corey Haim and Kiefer Sutherland.

Shumacker is a very divisive director, having made some really awfull films like Batman And Robin but he has also responsible some mostly well received works and one of them is The Lost Boys.

The cast is definitely one of the best parts of the film, I really like Kiefer Sutherland as the main antagonist ( he turns out not to the vampire leader but I think it's fair to say he is the main antagonist as he acts like it for almost the entire film ), Corey Haim is also really good and so are Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander as the Frog brothers.

The film is very entertaining and funny, especially in the scenes with the Frog brothers and Sam and the ending while very cliché is very fun as well. The film itself isn't particularly scary however the vampire's look and some of the sces with them are pretty spooky.

This film is not a masterpiece nor is it very memourable however it is a very entertaining and fun watch and an overall pretty good film too.

A Excellent, Stylish 80's Flick

[MovieManiacX · 10/10 · 16 March 2005]

The Lost Boys is one of the movies that I think epitomizes the 1980's. It has a genuine 80's look and feel, as well as an awesome soundtrack and some fantastic performances by 80's legends like Corey Feldman.

This movie really draws you into it and makes you feel like you're right there in Santa Carla. The music fits the film perfectly. Nothing would have worked better. The setting is perfect. If you were a vampire and you were never going to die, where else would you want to spend your time? The amusement park, the abandoned cave with all that great stuff in it, and the railroad tracks (trust me, you'll understand after you see it) are absolutely incredible. The way Joel Schumacher uses certain POV shots and the eerie fog only add to the mood and atmosphere of the movie.

The gore and special effects are great! Since this is an 80's movie, there is no CGI thankfully, so everything you see is really real. The make-up of the vampires is excellent with their piercing eyes and long fangs. The gore doesn't really show itself until the end, though there is a very bloody (but quick) campfire attack in the middle. Once we do get to the blood and guts, it's great! There's a melting vampire in holy water, an exploding vampire, two excellent impalings, and more where that came from.

Finally, the acting is great. We have a very good cast, especially Kiefer Sutherland, who puts everyone else to shame. Jason Patric is a little dry, but he's great in his role. Max and Lucy have good chemistry, as well as Star and Michael. The Frog Brothers are classic and are responsible for most of the humor. Superb performances by all!

The Bottom Line:

A true 80's flick, with great performances, awesome special effects, a rocking soundtrack, and Corey Feldman!!!

Funny, fast and fun to watch.

[Aaron1375 · 9/10 · 9 May 2003]

This movie to me is more of a comedy than a horror. The scenes I remember most are the funny ones. Not to say it is a pure comedy, it isn't. It is though a very good vampire tale. The cast is superb, even Corey Haim and Feldman. This is definitely the best movie they did together. This one has a family of three (a mother and two sons) moving into her dad's home. They go around town and the younger one hears from some comic book workers that there are vampires in town. The older son is in fact being recruited by said vampires and is already becoming one after drinking a strange liquid. All in all I love this film and it is one of my favorite vampire flicks. Good mixture of action, horror, and especially for me...comedy. This movie is so very well made that you will find it hard to believe that the director of this would go on to make the pretty bad "Batman and Robin". This movie though is good, and has one of the best ending lines of any movie.

fun teen vampire movie

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 4 September 2015]

Brothers Michael (Jason Patric) and Sam Emerson (Corey Haim) with their divorced mother Lucy (Dianne Wiest) move to Santa Carla, California to live with her hippie reclusive father out on the farm. There are lots of missing people in the area after attacks from the sky. Michael falls for Star (Jami Gertz) who is the girlfriend of gang leader David (Kiefer Sutherland). Sam is befriended by brothers Edgar (Corey Feldman) and Alan Frog who are self-proclaimed vampire hunters.

It's a fun teen vampire movie from Joel Schumacher. It's an enjoyable ride. The attention is split between Michael and Sam. That leaves the movie with two somewhat separate paths. It's not quite a dark older teen horror. It has a bit of childish fun with Sam and Edgar. That split personality is part of its charm but also holds it back from being great.

Masterpiece! The greatest Vampire flick ever made!!!!

[ivo-cobra8 · 10/10 · 8 November 2015]

The Lost Boys (1987) is one of the best and the greatest vampire flick's ever made! A true Schumacher masterpiece and a classic horror film! I love The Lost Boys so much, it is one of the best true horror movies ever made from the 80's! I always loved this movie since I was a child and the vampires in here are awesome! It encompasses everything that was so silly and cheesy and fun about the 80's. The hair, the clothes, the music, the attitude - it seemed like nobody ever took themselves too seriously in that time. Hell, look at Tim Capello's cameo in the movie, for Christ's sake! Super oiled-up buff sax-playing dude in tight purple spandex? Only in the 80's!

The story is about Michael (Jason Patric) and his brother Sam (Corey Haim) who move together with their mother to stay with their grandfather in Santa Carla, California. One day Michael meets a girl and falls for her to know later that she is with a gang of guys who are vampires. They give him wine mixed with blood and Michael drinks it without knowing what it contains. Things change for Michael and he finds out the truth. He tries his best to resist the urge of becoming a vampire and fights it with the help of his brother Sam. This vampire movie is the epitome of excellent humor/horror. Just when you are sitting on the edge of your seat getting ready for the next scary scene you get a joke or a snide remark. As you are relaxed by the humor, you get hit with a nail bitter of a scary scene. The soundtrack is one of the best I've ever heard; some of my favorite music came from this soundtrack.

One of my favorite movies that I ever love a true classic, I think for once Joel Schumacher did a great job as the director, He screwed up Batman & Robin (1997) but he made this movie right! This film is probably the best vampire movie I have ever seen, one of my favorites and the soundtrack was awesome loved Cry Little Sister and all of the tracks. The cast all around was very solid too I think probably the best cast for a vampire movie yet. I miss the 80's classic films, like one of them was Fright Night (1985) this movie is released 2.years later and it is another Vampire movie and right behind him. Gosh I want more Vampire flicks from the 80's like this one is. The Lost Boys is like Twilight of it's late 80's day. The difference between the two is that Lost Boys is a rock-n-roll vampire flick mixed with some goofy humor to make it the cult classic is has become ever since it came and went from theaters to VHS.

In this film are famous stars like are Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer from 24 (2001) TV show, one of my all time favorite TV shows. Corey Feldman and of course Alex Winter he played in Death Wish 3, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and it's sequel Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey gosh I miss those movies. Why can't they make movies like are this ones today? The Lost Boys, Fright Night, Death Wish 3, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey are classic movies where are they now?

Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It's fun to be a vampire. When a single mother and her two sons move to the sleepy seaside California town of Santa Clara, they discover much more than they anticipated in this visually stunning blend of hip humor, horror and rock 'n' roll about the most compelling group of contemporary vampires ever to put fang to vein. That is actually the basic plot of the film!

The Lost Boys is a 1987 American horror comedy film starring Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Kiefer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Corey Feldman, Dianne Wiest, Edward Herrmann, Alex Winter, Jamison Newlander, and Barnard Hughes.

Anyway I am giving this film a 10/10 because the film deserves it and it doesn't deserve to be bashed and hated from people! I love this film to death I love it!!!

Terror movie for teens with excellent casting

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 11 January 2007]

A family constituted by a mother(Dianne West) divorced and sons played by Jason Patric and Corey Haim moves to Santa Clara(California) into house their grandfather(Barnard Hughes).There find a pack of bloodsuckers led by Kiefer Sutherland(24) and underlings Alex Winter(Bill and Tex's extraordinaries adventures),Billy Wirth among others.They turn into vampires at the night and stricken to hungry blood.Then undergo a dental transformation and going on a murderous rampage every time the dark appears.They lure to Patric and he falls in love with a vampire(Jami Gerz).

The picture displays terror,thriller,violence,humor and is quite entertaining.The movie contains great load of action,special effects abundant and numerous scenes have you on edge of your seat.It's beautifully executed with phenomenal production values and ideal cast.Special mention for couple Corey Haim-Corey Feldman playing a ¨Peter Cushing teens¨, pretty famous at the time,both made several films however nowadays they only make B movies.The screenwriter provides a very serviceable and fine-knit screenplay with suspense,tension,horror and some of comedy.It's colorfully filmed by cameraman Michael Chapman and atmospheric music by Thomas Newman.The motion picture is well directed by Joel Schumacher who later will make two mediocre Batman and a successful Phantom of Opera.The flick will like to vampires genre fans and adolescents cinema fans.

I don't get it?

[wmac · 1/10 · 4 October 1999]

Maybe I'm missing something, but why does everyone love this movie? Is it the comic book approach? I KNOW it's not the "Coreys", 'cause that would be downright nutty. I know it's not the effects, 'cause they're lame. I know its not the comedy, because its not funny, and I know its not the fright factor, 'cause it's not scary...WHAT MAKES THIS A GOOD MOVIE??

"We trashed the one that looks like Twisted Sister!"

[gah015 · 6 September 2006]

Haha, that line makes me laugh every time, just for how old school 80s it is. Not to mention the vampire that the kids just "trashed" didn't really look like Twisted Sister as he did more of a generic 80s pop metal dude. Middle school life in the late 80s (junior high back then) had some movies that were almost universally thought of as "cool". Some of these were Predator, Coming to America, Top Gun (yeah I said Top Gun), Big, and of course The Lost Boys. TLB was so popular with kids, I remember knowing the details of the plot before I had ever seen the movie.

Two kids named Sam (Corey Haim) and Michael (Jason Patric) move to Santa Carla, CA with their mother in hopes of a new life. Sam is looking to just have some fun and find a cable hook up for MTV, while his older brother Michael gets involved with some teenage vampire punk kids. Michael is slowly being recruited into the vampire clique that hangs around the boardwalk, while Sam desperately tries to turn him back to a normal human with the help of the overzealous Frog Brothers (Corey Feldman and some other guy).

Slick, stylish and shot like an 80s music video, this movie was a lot of fun. A few of the 1987 fashions here are enough to make this movie illegal in a some countries, but the hip feel of the film keeps it from being too dated. Well, in my opinion anyway, some kid today might think different. Afterall this movie is nearly 20 years old. Typing that just made me feel very, very old. Anyway the cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, director Joel Schumacher especially knows how to shoot night scenes. This film was both a horror and a comedy at the same time, though I'm not sure which I preferred. Any movie that features both Corey Haim and Corey Feldman is going to be one that you can't take very seriously. If you don't know who these two guys are, better you never find out. Just watch the movie. Keep an ear out for INXS, Run DMC and The Doors.

Thankfully Lost Boys Doesn't Take Itself Very Seriously

[mstomaso · 6/10 · 26 September 2007]

Joel Schumaker's The Lost Boys is an outrageous comedy adventure with a cast composed of some of the mid-80s' hottest male teen idols. The film successfully walks the tightrope between schlock-horror-comedy, young adult romance-adventure, family movie, and talent showcase. And there is no gore! Like most of Schumaker's work, Lost Boys is very Hollywood. Unlike most of the subsequent vampire films, however, Lost Boys very rarely takes itself seriously. Though most of the film's humor is pretty dated, it essentially hybridizes Ferris Bueller's day off and Interview with the Vampire.

Corey Haim and Jason Patric are two brothers who have just moved with their mom (Rachel Weist) to a new boardwalk town. Michael (Patric) wastes no time getting himself mixes up with a mysterious beauty (Jami Gertz) and her hive of vampires who literally hang out in a ruined hotel nestled within the San Andreas Fault. Meanwhile, his brother (Haim) has met a pair of ca. 9-year-old wannabe vampire slayers. Kiefer Sutherland and Jason Patric give particularly strong performances and really drive most of this film.

The cinematography is very good and quite consistent with the film's tongue-in-cheek approach. The script is economical and appropriate, though a bit dated. The editing is fine. Schumaker is Schumaker, and if your familiar with him, you know what you're going to get in his films - well-paced economical entertainment designed for a big budget which blends Hollywood formulae with big name talent and an at least half-thought-out plot. In other words, Schumaker always at least tries to give a lot of bang for your buck. The formula works here, and, in my opinion, more than it usually does.

Unlike most modern gothics, Lost Boys uses special effects and make up very sparingly. It is refreshing to see a horror film without CGI and vats full of cow blood. However, the film is fairly dated, and not all that original (similar in style and story to Return of the Living Dead, among others). Still, it's a better film than it deserves to be,and one of my top-rated from Schumaker.

Vampire Masterpiece

[matrsowner · 10/10 · 8 July 2019]

The Lost Boys couldn't be more 80s if it tried, but that's simply because that was when it was made. It's not corny or cliche, rather it's of its time and as cool as an 80s film can get. The bikes, the wardrobe, the soundtrack! All perfectly judged and executed.

Maybe one of the best vampire films ever made, with enough comedy elements to lift the entertainment, without diluting the story or the tension.

In case you haven't guessed, it's one of my favourites, that I've watched dozens of times since a child, and never tire of.

"You're a vampire Michael. You wait until mom hears about this!!"

Growing up I watched this movie countless times.

[triple8 · 7/10 · 2 April 2004]

It didn't really stay with me but remains a movie I thought was wonderful growing up and were I to see it again I'd probebly enjoy it, though I doubt I'd go banannas over it like when I was a kid.

It's a nice fun young person vampire flick. I'm not a big fan of vampire movies but have seen a few-this is not a scary type movie, more a fun one of two boys who move to a small town on the west coast and get mixed up with a bunch of vampires. Best of all, this movie introduced me to Jason Patrick who's quite the talented actor. Many I know, became major fans of his, through this movie.

Lost boys is light, it's fun, pretty setting-decent acting-a gem for today's kids groing up who may not have seen it. I myself saw it so much as a kid I got horribly sick of it and vowed not to watch it again but I'll probebly see it once more in the future.

This movie is a must see for fans of vampire movies, it's no longer a favorite of mine at all, but a great movie for kids(actually all ages) and a fun quirky one-check it out if you haven't.

Sex, blood and rock-n-roll!

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 10/10 · 11 June 2002]

One thing I can always promise you is that when people talk about the best vampire movies of all time, The Lost Boys is guaranteed to be on their list. In the 1980's, films were all about action, sex appeal, muscles and very good looking teenagers. Joel Schumacher, who was starting out at the time, was given the script and it was about kid vampires. He thought it sounded silly and offered a different idea of it being teenage vampires on motorcycles; who knew he had one of the best ideas that would create such a huge cult classic for decades? I absolutely adore this movie, everything about it: it's style, the script, the humor, the horror, the make up, the cast and the music. While dated, it still has a timeless fun style to it that will entertain those who are seeing it for the first time as if it was the opening weekend at the movie theater. I've watched this movie since I was a little girl and it's interesting to see that I still love The Lost Boys so much, as an adult I have a different love for it than "the boys are sooo cute!", well, they still are, but besides the point, The Lost Boys is a great movie that will not disappoint.

Michael and his younger brother, Sam, move with their just-divorced mother, Lucy, to Santa Carla, plagued by gang activity and unexplained disappearances, what better place to take your children?! The family moves in with Lucy's father, an eccentric old man who lives on the outskirts of town, and enjoys taxidermy as a hobby. The center of town life is the Boardwalk, which is plastered with flyers of missing people. While Lucy gets a job at a local video store run by a conservative man named Max, Michael becomes fascinated by Star, a beautiful young woman who lives with the mysterious leader of the local gang, David. Meanwhile, in the local comic book store, Sam meets brothers Edgar and Alan Frog, self-proclaimed vampire hunters who give Sam horror comics to teach him about vampires. When Michael meets Star the next night, David provokes him into a motorcycle race, in which he is baited into almost going over the edge of a sea cliff. David invites Michael to their lair, where he is put through an unsettling initiation that includes drinking blood from a wine bottle. The next night, while Sam takes a bath, his dog, Nanook, is forced to fend off Michael's bloodlust-driven attack on Sam. When Sam looks for his dog, he finds his brother has been attacked, but also that Michael's reflection in a mirror has become transparent. Sam calls the Frog brothers for help, they say the only way to save his brother is by killing the head vampire who they suspect is Max, Lucy's boss and new boyfriend.

It's hard to pin point what is so great about this movie. I love the cast, starting with Kiefer Sutherland who plays David, the lead of the Lost Boys. He has only a few lines, but you'd think he was the title character the way he presents himself, you can tell he had so much fun with this bad boy role. Dianne Wiest, one of my favorite actresses, what a beautiful lovely woman she is, her character is so warm and wonderful. She plays a great mom and is so believable the way she reacts to the situations she's put in by her crazy sons. This was also the start of "The Two Corey's", Corey Haim and Corey Feldman who had great chemistry along side with Jamison Newlander as they are hunting for vampires. They're like Rambo's who take themselves way too seriously and that's why they are so hilarious but great at what they do. The make up effects are just great and the vampires had such a sleek sexy look to them but still terrifying; the scene where they show Michael their vampire faces is one of the most memorable and most frightening. This is without a doubt the sexiest vampire movie you could watch. It has everything a vampire film should have to entertain. I still love showing this movie to my friends who never saw it, I envy the look on their faces at the end when they fall in love with it too as I wish I could say I was seeing it for the first time too. But I watch it each time and love it as if I were watching it for the first time, it's a fantastic movie, I could go on and on, but I'll just end with: please watch this movie. You better be buying this movie right now as you're finished reading this comment.

10/10

Pleasantly surprised!

[cameron-28520 · 6/10 · 15 October 2019]

I can't lie I had never heard of The Lost Boys until I stumbled across it on here.

What a great film it was. I was originally skeptical towards watching it as it was a so-called vampire film. However I really enjoyed it, the soundtrack was brilliant, the acting was spot on, and it wasn't in the slightest bit cringy either.. I don't know maybe Twilight has ruined the whole vampire movie stereotype for me as my expectations prior to watching the film were not all too high.

But overall it was a great film!

Schumacher mocks the shoes off vampires!

[theb_ronster · 10/10 · 25 November 2004]

Without a doubt, among the most brilliant of vampire movies ever made, in the modern film era. Jason Patric and Kiefer Sutherland are destined to blow away all audiences of this visual masterpiece. However, the twist at the end, which I plan not to give away, was made slightly obvious, though well hidden at the same time. Joel Schumacher does a splendid job directing this true work of art. The frog brothers did a great job of adding humor to this otherwise, mainly serious film, without spoiling the suspense. That made the film far more enjoyable to people with interests in multiple genres. Jami Gertz looks absolutely attractive in her role as Star. However, the show is undoubtedly stolen by Kiefer Sutherland, in the role of David, the rebellious, dangerous, rude and rambunctious, teenaged vampire, who seduces Michael (Jason Patric) into joining his gang of vampires. The story is of a woman (Dianne Wiest), and her two sons, Sam (Corey Haim) and Michael (Patric), who move to a small Californian town, called Santa Carla, often referred to as the murder capital of the world, to live with her father after getting divorced. Little to their knowledge, the town happens to be inhabited by a motorcycle gang of Jim Morrison obsessed, teenage vampires. While the mother begins to fall in love with her boss from the video store, where she has been employed, Sam spends his time reading vampire comics, which were given to him by two brothers (Corey Feldman, Jamison Newlander), who claim the town is infested by vampires. He does not believe them, but grows to almost immediately, upon realizing that his brother, Michael, has been seduced by the beautiful half-vampiress, Star (Gertz), and joins the gang, led by David (Sutherland). He realizes that neither Star nor Michael are true vampire until they make their first kill, and they will not become normal again until the head vampire is killed. So, he calls up the brothers Frog, and gets them to come in and help him solve the job, though he is scared that he might have to kill his brother. Overall, a cinematic masterpiece. The directing, acting, writing, camera work, special effects, stunts and, of course, the epic cinematography work with the astounding score to bring together one of the most loved films of all time. The story is in fact an allegory to that of the lost boys of Neverland, from Peter Pan. A contemporary, without the temporary, classic.

We're moving to Santa Carla

[eric-perrine1 · 7/10 · 6 January 2022]

Things to love about The Lost Boys: Corey Haim's clothes Jason Patric's earring Corey Feldman's voice Kiefer Sutherland's mullet

And this line: "Kill your brother, you'll feel better."

flawless

[destroyedcelluloid · 10/10 · 7 September 2003]

Browsing through IMDB I was shocked to see this film has only scored 6.7! The brilliance of this film is undescribable, I first saw it when I was about 11. It changed me! I wanted to be a teenage vampire and live forever! I have probably since seen this film more than any other, I haven't a bad word about it. Fantastic effects, acting, writing, and the music, believe me you'll be straight out to buy the soundtrack once you've seen this, and play it as if it was one of your favourite albums. Everyone is great in this film but Feldman was born for this part, he's like an older version of 'Mouth' from The Goonies, in many ways this film like an older brother to Goonies and cousin of American Werewolf. They truly don't make movies like this anymore, they finished in the 80's (Gremlins, Fright Night, American Werewolf in London, Return of the Living Dead, Evil Dead, I'm sure there's more...). What more can I say?

A Teen's Vampire Movie

[ccthemovieman-1 · 6/10 · 18 May 2006]

This is a vampire movie for teenagers, or at least was when it came out. A number of these actors became well-known as adults. Teens definitely would like this film better than adults.

However, older folks can still be entertained by this if they don't let the obnoxious teen attitudes get to them, and just enjoy the colorful scenes in here. It's lightweight horror-comic entertainment but gets pretty tense in the last 15-20 minutes.

Overall, this just didn't leave a good taste in my mouth. I did let these teens' attitudes get to me, making me annoyed at times. I was a bit aggravating watching the too liberal mother (Diane Weist) in the way she handled her kids, too.

There are so many other good vampires movies that worth keeping. This is worth a rental but not a purchase.

Some of those younger actors were Keifer Sutherland, Jason Patric, Corey Feldman, Jamie Gertz and Cory Heim.

Straddling genres it misses its bite. Visually it is glorious

[shakercoola · 5/10 · 12 July 2019]

An American horror comedy; A story about a single mother and her two sons who become involved with a pack of teenage vampires when they move into an offbeat Northern California seaside town. The main theme is vampirism as a metaphor for mythic male bonding, resisting growing up, commitment, and marriage. It is well photographed with rich and dark colours, great costumes, an anthemic score and some great pop music that fits well. The storyline starts out well too, creating a mood of a punkish, after-dark teenage world. But, by appealing to a broad audience it never delivers on either sub genre - not enough laughs for a comedy, mimicking "The Goonies" for cornball, and no sense of dread for a horror. Inevitably, it has to face the serious business of a third act of horror, but in doing so resorts to a formula of unimaginative action, chasing, and special-effects gore. Some young teenage viewers will find it pleasing, especially the anodyne humour of one-liners from its kooky characters, and they will find the horror quite startling. All the performances are good and there is a genuine sense of fun, passable, and watchable, if sometimes a bit anaemic.

Gets better with every viewing.

[billybrown41 · 25 June 2001]

This movie came out when I was like six years old. Here is a brief little plot-summary:

Michael and Sam are two teenage brothers who are moving with their recently divorced mother to Sante Carlo, California to stay with their eccentric grandfather. It is clear from the get go that Sante Carlo is an anything but normal town. This is explained by shots of the people while a cover of the Doors' "People are Strange" plays over the opening credits. Within a few days, Michael has already found the wrong girl and hooked up with the wrong crowd. Pretty soon, he's hanging out (litteraly) all night and sleeping all day. Sam, being the comic freak that he is, knows that's something is up and finds assistance by a coupla dorks who claim to be vampire killers.

How would I describe this film? Entertaining. Pure and simple. It is the definitive "style over substance" flick and that is just fine by me. This movie is all about entertaining the viewer and nothing else. Over the last thirteen years, I have seen this movie probably about thirty times and it has yet to get old. It is also a great time capsule of the 80s. There is a highly polished look to the whole thing, the music is awesome, and the good looking cast doesn't hurt.

When you watch this today, you might find some things to be hilarious. For example, that singer on stage with the oiled biceps, playing the sax. Watch that scene with a few friends, and you might find that the laughter is highly contagious.

I would have to say that my favorite character would be the grandfather. He had the best one-liners in the movie and his prescence alone, kept me laughing. I also think that this is one of Corey Feldman's best movies. He didn't have a whole lot of screen time, but he did give a fun, convincing performance and it would be cool to reunite the two Coreys for a sequel.

If you are one of the few people who have yet to see this, you're missing out. This is what great horror flicks should be. Pure fun.