The Lost Boys Review (1987)

10 / 10. People are strange - they certainly are, and none more so than in Santa Carla *MINOR SPOILERS*

The Lost Boys is a cult black comedy horror film directed by Joel Schumacher, with a screenplay by Jeffrey Boam.

Teenage brothers Michael (Jason Patric) and Sam (Corey Haim) move with recently divorced mother, Lucy (Dianne Wiest), to their eccentric Grandpa’s house (Barnard Hughes) in beach town Santa Carla, California.

Michael and Sam hang out at the boardwalk’s arcade and fun fair, where younger Sam makes friends with comic-book shop owners Edgar and Alan Frog, who force him to take horror comics and warn that all is not as it seems in Santa Carla. Sam is unperturbed, neither is he by all the missing person flyers.

Michael sets his sights on local mysterious girl, Star (Jami Gertz), who answers to David (Kiefer Sutherland), the leader of a local biker gang (of vampires). Michael is drawn deep into the undead world and Sam and his new friends must help him, before it’s too late, because:

“You’re not one of them, until you make your first kill! ugh.”

My second favourite film has an excellent soundtrack and seaside carnival setting, the flying sequences are effective and the effects and make up still look authentic. These are some truly scary looking vampires, not these shimmery, soft Twilight versions we have now.

In only his second big movie role (following the also fantastic Stand By Me), Sutherland stands out as the charismatic David, his looks and mesmerising voice are perfect to play the quietly threatening vampire.

Haim is on top form here as Sam, with some great lines. The family dynamic is organic and believable, with Wiest in a lovely turn as Lucy, and Hughes is hilarious as Grandpa. Patric’s Michael is a little wooden, but it seems to suit his character. The family dinner scene with the Frog brothers (Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander) is hilarious. 

The Lost Boys is an atmospheric and fun 1980s classic and the final showdown is a roller-coaster riot of blood and gore.

The film also features an incredible singing saxophonist, who must be seen to be believed (Timmy Capello, also showing up in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome).

I’ve always wanted my car to beep like Grandpas’ truck!

“One thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach, all the damn vampires…”