Lost. Two nil.
 Jun 10th, 2001
Advantages:
Well crafted, well acted thriller .
Disadvantages:
Originality, soundtrack .
Recommendable:
Yes
Detailed rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Story
Characters / Performances
Special Effects
How does it compare to similar films?
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  baddog
About me:
"You fellers gonna draw them guns, or you gonna whistle 'Dixie'?"
Member since:16.07.2000
Reviews:41
Members who trust:55
Review rated by 28 Ciao members on average: very helpful 
Comparisons are odious, but unfortunately this film invites them. ‘The Exorcist’ set the standard for films about demonic possession. ‘The Omen’ is the classic about the return of Satan to claim his inheritance and ‘Lost Souls’ wants the best of both worlds. It begins with the botched exorcism of a psychiatric patient. During the exorcism the name of the Anti-Christ is revealed to Maya (Winona Ryder) and the film follows her attempts to convince him of the coming Transformation which will occur on his thirty third birthday. The plot then, is not too complex.
The real strength of this film is in the characterisation of the main players. Winona Ryder gives a superb performance as a girl teetering on the edge of madness; you can almost feel the pressure. Similarly, Ben Chaplin, who plays Peter Kelson, the soon to be Anti-Christ, gives a bravura display. Initially sceptical, as the plot unwinds, you can almost taste his growing fear and panic. John Hurt, as a priest, is in there as well, but spends most of the time catatonic. Still, it pays the rent I suppose.
The ending is original and surprising, so I’ll say no more about it. Where this film scores highly is in its realism. It is thoughtful. It doesn’t rely on projectile vomit or gratuitous decapitations; instead it has people reacting as they might really react when told that they are the spawn of Satan. The lighting is atmospheric to the point where you wonder if they can make a decent light bulb in the U. S., but the suspense builds nicely.
Had I never seen the two films that I mentioned, then I think that ‘The Lost Souls’ might be up there in the top ten, however where it really loses out is in the soundtrack. Both ‘The Exorcist’ and ‘The Omen’ had tremendous, rip-roaring, unforgettable soundtracks, which added immeasurably to the suspense and anticipation, but ‘The Lost Souls’ has nothing comparable. An excellent film then, but it misses out on greatness.
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![Lost Souls [DVD] [2001]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78542738.jpg)
24.06.2001 18:23
Thanks for the good review!
11.06.2001 00:36
excellent op! at least you gave this film recognition which could otherwise be lost amongst the great films