Lost Souls (2000)

Good movie but grossly overrated

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

I can make absolutely no sense of each and every one star review which calls this film horrible as well as the 4.7 rating. It is unfathomable to me. The cinematography alone should warrant a rating of at least 5. This is a subtle religious horror flick that I have to assume people rejected because of the lack of scares and gore. However, the performances, direction and cinematography are all top notch. Though Lost Souls was marketed to look like a demonic scare-fest, I would compare this film to the likes of The Exorcism of Emily Rose. In fact, I would not be surprised if the makers of that film borrowed quite heavily from this one, both in style and effects. The premise is relatively simple: A small religious sect believe the coming of the anti-Christ to be near, sitting dormant in a human body. The biggest praise that I can bestow upon this film is that over 12 years later, this film still looks like it could have been made yesterday. In fact, it looks uncannily more modern than a large majority of recent horror efforts. Lost Souls simply does not age. Another popular factor in why this movie is so poorly rated and received is the fact that audiences just did not like the ending. I feel sorry for those that do not. The ending is original, and though it did not satisfy blood thirsty Hollywood horror fans, it is very much appropriate for this film. To put it simply without spoiling anything: faith is the central core to Lost Souls, those with it and those without. That is what this ending plays off of, and I think it's perfect. Please do not let any of these negative reviews divert you from seeing this film. This is not End of Days or Stigmata. Lost Souls is not camp in the slightest. It is a dark, beautifully shot and well acted film that is significantly ahead of it's time. 7/10

Winona had just had a big hit with "Girl Interrupted," and Ben Chaplin was impressive doing Montgomery Cliff's "The Heiress" part in "Washington Square." So what possessed them to do a cheesy "Exorcist" meets "the Omen" and "Rosemary's Baby" formula movie? In any case, the movie has a good opening twenty minutes and promises real scary stuff to come. You don't know anything about the characters or what's going on and that makes it a little frustrating, but you can forgive the movie for that. Unfortunately, the movie becomes less scary the more the silly plot and characters gets revealed. Probably the silliest moment comes when Winona tells Ben that he fits the profile for the "antichrist" because he's never been baptized. It is hard to see how Winona Horowitz could say such a thing with a straight face.Apparently the first time director is a great cinematographer. That is usually not such a good thing. Yes, Stanley Kubrick did make the transition, but most cinematographers are too concerned with the lighting and have no idea how to direct actors. That turns out to be the case here, where everybody is just doing monotone line readings.I confess my love for Winona, but even her presence only makes the film barely watchable and not quite enjoyable or fun.

If beautiful, haunting images made a film, this would be a classic. The color is both dark and somewhat bleached, and as s result, even the most mundane places look eerie and Gothic. There are some well-chosen locations and great camera angles. In short, this film looks great, ideal for the storyline. But the story itself never really takes off. Wynona Ryder, who's beautiful with long hair, plays the assistant to some priests who special in exorcisms, and she becomes convinced that a famed author, well-played by Ben Chaplin, has been chosen to be the anti-Christ. But the story never becomes as scary as it could have been. Not helping is that the screenwriters haven't done their homework on the subject. And the ending is dull, and so abrupt, it seems that the filmmakers pasted it on because they didn't know what to do with the story and were running low on film. There are a few scattered thrills and a few moments of suspense, but not enough of them.

"Lost Souls" is a visual feast directed by Janusz Kaminski, the cinematographer for most of Steven Spielberg's recent blockbusters. Despite the impressive surface veneer, the film lacks any real dramatic tension, though there are a few spine tingling set-pieces. Winona Ryder and Ben Chaplin deliver perfectly acceptable performances but the film is missing the necessary "x" factor. It feels flat overall and the finale is a pathetic, damp squib of an ending. With so much talent on tap, this is a wasted opportunity to produce a memorable addition to the horror genre.Those seeking a decent satanic movie would be best checking out the original "Exorcist", "Exorcist III" or "The Exorcism of Emily Rose". Alternatively, the Italian film "L'Anticristo" offers alternative exorcism thrills and spills.6 out of 10.