Rating: 
Summary: LOST SOULS - Well made, lost opportunity
Review: ... It is one of the most original and stunningly photographed films I have seen in years, completely shot in this sort of color-drained world of blues and greens. Winona Ryder plays Maya Larkin, a former victim of demon possession who now helps a team of priests perform exorcisms. At one of these events, she stumbles upon a strange code and upon sorting it out, discovers that... is about to take over the soul of Ben Chaplin's character. The rest of the film is a race against time as Maya tries to convince the atheistic Peter of what is about to happen while trying to get to the bottom of the conspiracy that surrounds him. There is little suspense in this film. It is being marketed as a horror film, although I found that it played out as more of a supernatural drama. There are a few tense moments and a few visuals that are stark and disturbing, but overall, it is more of a character study. The ending is a let down considering all the wonderful things that added up to that point. But, it does follow the logic of the story...I do agree with Roger Ebert on that one. It isn't a radical departure from what the plot teaches us must happen. The score is amazing, the cinematography is brilliant and the performances are on key, especially Winona Ryder, who is just the right mixture of frightened child and strong as steel woman. "Lost Souls" will make for a very nice rental.
Rating: 
Summary: Surprisingly affecting and intense.
Review: In keeping with the onslaught of apocalyptic movies for the upcoming new millennium, movie studios have been churning out films whose stories involve Satanic possession and the fate on mankind resting on whether or not the characters involved will be able to prevent the possession from occurring. We were given "End of Days," which missed the mark in terms of reaching its potential in exchange for a typical Schwarzenegger action film. Paramount's "Bless the Child" gave us something to hope for, but it, too, did not quite fit together in clarifying its purpose in the end. "Lost Souls" is definitely the pick of the litter. While receiving numerous bashings from critics and audiences, I found it to be quite refreshing and, in some cases, original. The story does follow a set pattern of events that previous movies in the past have set forth, but it does have many moments of unique plot twists and events, which set it apart from most other movies. But the real showcase of the film is the high-quality acting, and the superb cinematography that never fails to dazzle and frighten us all in one gorgeous package of terror and thrilling suspense. The movie begins with the exorcism of one man, Henry Birdson, who is believed by doctors to be mentally ill. Birdson, who was placed in an asylum for killing his family, has requested that the exorcism take place, and so the Catholic church, along with a formerly possessed woman named Maya Larkin, perform the ritual in an attempt to bring Satan out of the man's body. This runs for the first ten minutes of the movie, in one of the most shocking and jolting experiences ever in a movie like this. The sound is incredibly loud, booming and overwhelming, which places us right in the halls of the asylum as they fill with the roars and shrieks of Satan himself. Maya leaves the asylum with a tape recording of the event as well as scribbling written by Birdson. She begins deciphering the numbers on the papers, which are in no discernable order, until she discovers the code and reveals the name within the writing: Peter Kelson. Kelson is a well-known skeptic who has no faith, is very opinionated, and believes that Evil, that with a capital E, does not exist in reality. As Maya begins corresponding with him, she begins to uncover more clues as to the nature of Kelson's life, and she reveals a shocking discovery: he is predestined to become the Antichrist on the exact moment of his 33rd birthday. What the two will find out is that it is more than just a dark omen, but a conspiracy that will overcome all that is good and kind. With a film like this, it is easy for the audience to try and analyze each plot point until they become so confused that they lose track of what is going on at the moment. The best thing to do with "Lost Souls" is to let the story unfold, and then think about it after it is finished. There are hints of inspiration from movies such as "The Exorcist" and "The Omen," but they are merely hints; the script does have a strong sense of originality to it that keeps us enamored with interesting plot twists. You don't have to pay too much attention to it, but it does help in understanding what happens next. I found the way in which the premise was handled to be quite refreshing. Instead of settling for blood, as did "End of Days," or cheesy special effects that do nothing for the basic plot, as was the downfall of "Bless the Child," screenwriter Pierce Gardner chooses to give us a solid story that delivers its suspense in slow, mounting buildup. There is never anything truly disgusting, never any moment where you will feel the need to vomit or turn away in disgust, and the movie never really needs it anyway. It's smart in the way it keeps us tense through the events that are taking place instead of prodding its characters with knives and weapons. This is not to say that is does not have its frightening moments; there are certain scenes and instances that will make you jump, one involving a very loose crucifix, which is extremely shocking. "Lost Souls" is probably the most visually stunning movie of the year, taking a seat alongside such imaginative films as "The Cell." Through the brilliant cinematography, we are taken into a place that is dark, dismal, and always damp. There is never a moment where you will feel totally clean, nor will you feel warm and cozy throughout the film. Lighting effects give the overall appearance a very dark, shadowy look, adding to the underlying sense that something evil is lurking within the shadows. This also adds a vast amount of light/dark imagery, where most scenes only contain a small amount of light, giving notion to the fact that the darkness seems to be swallowing the characters up as the intensity builds to the somewhat murky ending. In keeping with the tradition of reviewing without giving away anything important, I'll keep it as simple as possible: in the end, there is the possibility that the possession is over, yet the story and the way in which it is carried out can also lead us to believe that it remains to be silenced. While this may put a lot of people off to the movie, it certainly does not hamper it. In fact, you could go so far as to say that it a little more mystery to the movie if the problem is never quite solved, leaving certain strings untied. The films boasts a handsome cast that is brilliant in deliverance of emotion, strength, and most importantly, tension. Winona Ryder plays the part of Maya Larkin, and she brings with her every nuance of her ability: she is able to be strong in Maya's distresses, while also adding just the right amount of fright and personal emotion without ever coming off as too whiny or pathetic. Through her performance, we are able to care for her character a great deal, and by film's end, we believe in her courage to fight the arriving evil. This is the first Ben Chaplin movie I've seen as yet, and it makes me all the more excited to see more of his work. He is a very diverse actor, as shown in his performance as Peter Kelson, and he keeps up the image of Kelson's retreat from his stubborn beliefs to the fear he experiences as he realizes what Maya is telling him is true. The supporting cast includes Elias Koteas, Philip Baker Hall, and Sarah Wynter and John Hurt, all of whom breath life into the scenes when it is needed. A movie like this need not be over-analyzed, but instead enjoyed for its images of terror and apparitions of hell. What keeps "Lost Souls" from falling into the waste bucket is an original take on a used story, complete with lavish yet grizzly images and acting that puts most other movies to shame. It is able to keep us involved throughout, while also making us jump in unexpected places. I highly recommend this film on all these grounds, but mostly for the fact that it is not as bad as everyone claims it is.
Rating:
Summary: What About the Ending?
Review: Okay, I won't pretend this was the best film I've ever seen, nor the worst. It didn't scare me, but it was bizarre. I think horror has lost its true meaning with the guts and gore slasher films we see, which is why I appreciated the suspense with this film. At first, the ending seemed bland to me, but then I got to thinking that the movie had another motive. It made me wonder about the contents of the movie; was Peter really the devil or not? Sure, he had the makings to become one. But what about Maya? Consider the facts: her parents died while she was 13; she solved the puzzle herself and went after Peter; she was also possessed at such a young age; and the mental patient seemed insistent on killing her; she had the vision of the number XES. It's a shame this could not have been developed further; but as they say, it's just a movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Style over substance
Review: The real star of Lost Souls isn't Winona Ryder or Ben Chaplin or John Hurt, but the art direction and cinematography of Janusz Kaminski. As the movie progresses, the direction becomes less self-conscious, but the first half of the film seemed to me almost painfully artistic, filled with odd camera angles from the ground up, haze and cigarette smoke and distorting glass, slow-motion and other tricks, and a sepia-tinted color world. An artistic vision as the basis of a film can be a very good thing--personally I loved The Cell, which was similarly style oriented--but Lost Souls brought nothing new to the table, even stylistically. Others have pointed out the obvious plot similarities to The Exorcist (I was also reminded of The Omen). The "improvements" almost thirty years later lie principly in the fact that this film contains two (well, two and a half) exorcisms, not just one. No significantly better special effects, no more insight into the ritual, or possession, or the characters or why Satan might pick particular people. My biggest disappointment was with the character Maya Larkin, played rather well by Winona Ryder. Larkin has supposedly been saved from a possession herself, but we saw only the briefest flashback from this event (thus the "half exorcism" I mentioned earlier. There is almost no follow-through at all on what this has meant to her life and how it has effected her personality. Yes, she still works with her exorcist, lives in a nunnery, and teaches in a Catholic school, but for heaven's sake (!), you'd think having a demon in possession of your body and being forceably cast out through the intervention of Jesus Christ and his saints might leave a mark on a person, at least psychologically. I guess all those sessions at Exorcees Anonymous really did the trick for her. There were a few good scenes--in particular I liked the scene in which the pentagram is discovered. But overall, this one is a renter at best. It had the potential to be a terrific film, but unfortunately style didn't prevail over substance.
Rating: 
Summary: Best film of all time
Review: Quite simply the best film of all time. I have watched close to every film ever made and am the ultimate critic. Having watched every film every made again lately I was able to come to the conclusion that this is indeed the best film ever made.
Rating:
Summary: LOST SOULS
Review: Maya Larkin, played by Winona Ryder, helps a team of priests perform exorcisms. One day they exorcise a man who is suposidly just psychotic, but they think different. After the exorcism goes horribly wrong, Maya discovers that the man was onto something, infact he was decoding who would become Satan himself on a specific date, which happens to be the person's birthdate. The person who will become Satan is crime author Peter Kelson, played by Ben Chaplin. Now, in a race against time, Maya and Peter must find a way to stop the transformation from happening, or else the whole world will be swallowed into hell. "Lost Souls" is a breathtaking, beautifully shot horror film that is very chilling and very intense! Both Winona Ryder and Ben Chaplin give excellent performances, and so do the rest of the cast, including Philip Baker Hall and Elias Koteas. The best thing about this film is its cinematography, I mean you take one look at it and say, "WOW!" It is dark and yet so beautiful, all the textures and colors mix in so well to give that feel of dread and fear. Most critics don't like this film at all, but I find it to be one of the best horror films to come out in a long time! Overall: A breathtaking, beautifully shot horror film that leaves you with chills up and down your spine! Grade: A+
Rating:
Summary: Atmospheric, Creepy - A Solid Achievement
Review: Solid performances from Ben Chaplin and Winona Ryder make this a creepy and thoroughly engaging film. The cinematography and music are appropriately haunting, although everything is quite understated (and all the more menacing). Until the climactic finale, the viewer is faced with the same doubt (of Chaplin's character) about whether the devil is an actual supernatural force or a manifestation of a disturbed psyche. The balancing act sets this film apart from the numerous horror films about the Antichrist. In this respect, "Lost Souls" has more in common with the darkness of films like "Seven" or the TV Series "Millenium", rather than conventional horror films like "The Excorcist". Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: The Cinematography is a Visual Masterpiece !
Review: This is a very visual movie, if you are looking for a complex or puzzling plot forget about it. Stigmata would be my first pick if you are looking for both Cinematography and depth. This movie is beautiful to look at but lacks the horror the Exorcist or Omen for all that matters. This film is more of the kind of film if you are playing some Trip Hop or Gothic type music you would put this movie on with the volume down to complete the mood. I even think this would be a great visual experience for the wacked out clubs with monitors. But in know way would I say this is a horrifying flick and you will be jumping out your seats. I don't really know what the directer or writer was trying to convey with this story. Obviously his idea of what scares him isn't what scares everyone else. The Plot is plain and simple a man with turn into the Devil at 4:15pm on his 35th birthday. Whoopty Doo! And it takes an Hour and a half conveying this with cheap trival scares. And the end doesn't really deliver anything electrifying like "End of Dayz" did,which I don't own because I thought it was a worst TURKEY! For all of the build up nothing happens at the end I am just warning you. Wynona Ryder is a valueable asset to this movie only because she is a good actress. Also she does bring some type of youthful feel to this fiasco! Lost Souls could have been a classic the concept of the film and the visuals were great. But some where down the line someone needed help bring it to the fore front. If you are looking for something real I recommend "Lost Highway", "Mullholland Dr", "Stigmata",and "Omen box Set". If this helps this movie was supposed to be out before "Girl Interrupted" and was to be out the same time Stigmata was released. Lost Souls was shelved for all most a year and a half, and now we know why! This movie is know different than the disappointing "Jason X" (Held 2 years) and "Queen of the Damned"(considered for straight to video) which were both held as well. This is nothing more than a classic situation of "We spent quite a bit making this movie so we got to make our money back"! And advertising this film as the scariest movie since the Exorcist was a great way to start. Arish
Rating:
Summary: Watch out!!! The Anti Christ is coming to town!
Review: There is no fancy pancy plot that don't make sense like you see in most horror movies but this one does from beginning to end. The cimatography is amazon with the bleeding colors remenicent of the golden days. It has a touch of your typical omen flavor to it but it's done much better at a higher quality. Is it exciting with lots of action like the movie exorcist...NO it does not, which is what many reviewer is comparing it to and it is not fair. The action in this movie is the tight connection of this movie at making sense of it all without going beyond it to something out of the ordinaary. Does it deserve 5 stars, NO because i will not watch this movie again as much as i enjoyed it because it lack excitement and anyone who give this movie a 5 star rating is most likely one who doesn't know how to rate movies or maybe the anti christ himself. Isn't it good to be a Christian at times like this LOL. Maybe folks, maybe... Rent it and enjoy this movie nd realized that it could happen...
Rating:
Summary: A beautifully gloomy, serious movie
Review: From the previews and trailer I had seen, I expected Lost Souls to be an incredible movie. When I first watched it, I admit I was disappointed, but I believe this feeling sprang primarily from the fact that the movie was quite different from what I had expected. I quickly forgot most of the movie entirely, save the end. Thus, when I watched it a second time recently, it was almost like watching a brand new movie. The fact that I could so easily forget what happened in such a short time definitely points to a weakness in the plot or presentation, but I have really come to appreciate Lost Souls for what it is. This begs the question: what is Lost Souls? I can't really pigeonhole this movie into any specific genre. I would not call it a horror movie, even though there are some exorcism scenes, and the religious aspects that dominate the story differentiate it from your regular drama. In some degree, it is a mystery, I suppose, as we follow along with the characters in discovering whether or not the protagonist Maya's Antichrist theory is true. This is definitely not a feel-good movie. The whole atmosphere and look of the film reflects the gloomy atmosphere of the storyline. Everything is dark, and water is often present in the form of rain or leaking pipes. The characters have a sort of pall over them, with Winona Ryder's character Maya appearing totally washed-out most of the time-truly this is no glamorous role Miss Ryder chose to play. Everyone seems to dress in black or similarly dark colors, and lighting is kept consistently low or blocked altogether. In one sense, everyone and everything appears lifeless; the gloomy atmosphere is a perfect environment for the evolution of the story. The plot is relatively straightforward, although anyone watching this film without at least some background in Antichrist theorizing may struggle a little bit early on. Ben Chaplin plays crime writer Peter Kelson; he seems to have everything going for him until a strange young woman, Maya Larkin (played very well by Ryder), tries to convince him that Evil does in fact exist with a capital E by giving him a tape of an exorcism she participated in. Descrambling the code that the exorcised man had written while possessed, Larkin becomes convinced that Peter Kelson is about to be transformed into an incarnate Antichrist. The journey of discovery upon which she and Kelson eventually embark does seem a little rushed at times, but Kelson begins to find evidence that what Maya is telling him is true. Chaplin portrays his character's sense of increasing frustration, confusion, and disbelief quite well. As you can imagine, finding out you are about to become the Antichrist can be a rather unsettling experience. Although he doesn't figure too prominently in the movie, John Hurt gives a wonderful performance as Father Lareaux, the exorcist whose much-needed help is denied to Maya just when she needs it the most. Some of his best and most intense moments can be found in the deleted exorcism scenes found on the DVD. Well before the ending, one begins to wonder just how the filmmakers are going to handle the ultimate conclusion. I for one think the ending was very well-done. It may not send you reeling with its power, but it feels right. The filmmakers deserve a note of congratulations for making sure the movie's exorcism scenes do not become copies of what has been done so well before; the scenes as we see them are well-presented in a visually interesting way, and they are not so drawn out as to steal the viewer's attention from the real plot of the movie. If you have no interest whatsoever in this subject matter, you will most likely not like Lost Souls, but those of us with such an interest are presented with a rather novel Antichrist scenario. It is the plot and not special effects that drives this somber film, giving it a level of intelligence far above that found in many a sensationalist film on this fascinating topic. Lost Souls may not entertain you, but it will certainly engage your mind.
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