Rijndri
Load of rubbish!!
ThedevilChoose
When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.
Cheryl
A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.
bixby-80106
I enjoy good horror movies and this isn't one of them but watchable because of the actors involved and budget. The story isn't that bad either. Though those that have dabbled or more in witchcraft will roll their eyes at this. Not that I do anymore.Just watched this last week on a stream sign up channel. So is fresh in my mind. What to say though? I woman was possessed, helps the church as a sensitive, a guy where everyone has prepared him since birth to let Lucifer/Satan whatever you want to call that figure, to take over his body and bring hell on earth whatever that means. The story really doesn't go all that deep. Wise woman, church, ignorant non-believing man, then the cliffhanger. The radio turns to 666 just as Satan takes him over so she can shoot him in the car when she knows it is not him anymore because the message is that taking a innocent life is wrong. Dumb.But the one scene that I laughed at in a good way because of my own situation, living around grumpy old women. Was when he couldn't here the tape in his apartment during the exorcism so he turns it up full blast and she is hearing this horrid sound, pounding on the wall. And then he starts banging back because it is silence to him. That scene made the movie for me. Yes she dies a day later which is not explained but don't put to much thought into this movie.
Leofwine_draca
LOST SOULS is another religious thriller that came out at the turn of the millennium. There were loads of these made with titles such as BLESS THE CHILD, END OF DAYS, and STIGMATA, and truth be told not many of them are very good. As a rule they've dated quite badly since release like a lot of early 2000s films and most aren't worth bothering going back and watching, and I'm afraid to say that LOST SOULS is such a film. It's not totally bad but it's not very interesting either.The main character in the movie is played by British actor Ben Chaplin who becomes involved with some exorcists and weird characters who follow him around. He soon learns that he's part of an age-old prophecy which is supposedly about to come true but being an atheist he's having none of it. A fine-looking Winona Ryder is the obsessive who follows him trying to convince him that the prophecy is indeed real.For a horror film this is surprisingly limited in scope. There are a few clichéd scare sequences and various weird characters running amok. At least they don't go through all the old possession routines which is usual for a film like this. The problem with LOST SOULS is that it's such a boring production. The Catholic characters are lifeless and dull and actors like John Hurt fail to bring them to life. The writing is very ordinary and even shocking events fail to seem out of the ordinary. Director Janusz Kaminski has done some good work as cinematographer but he has little aptitude for directing as evinced here.
Claudio Carvalho
A group of Catholics go to a mental institution to perform exorcism in the murderer George Viznik (Brad Greenquist). Father Lareaux (John Hurt), Deacon John Townsend (Elias Koteas), Father Frank Page (Brian Reddy) and the teacher Maya Larkin (Winona Ryder), who was possessed and exorcised in the past, unsuccessfully try to exorcise the man and Father Lareaux is deeply affected and falls into a coma. Maya brings the Viznik's coded writings and after deciphering it, she concludes that the writer Peter Kelson (Ben Chaplin) might be the Antichrist to be incarnated by Satan. She seeks him out but the atheist Peter, who has been raised by his uncle Father James (Philip Baker Hall), does not believe in her. But when strange things happen to him, Peter meets Maya and they investigate together the chance to save his soul.The stylish "Lost Souls" is one of the most underrated horror films ever. The cinematography is top-notch; the excellent camera work explores unusual angle; the cast is magnificent; and the film has not aged after sixteen years. The story keeps the escalating tension in the psychological style of the classic "Rosemary's Baby", without the need of violence and gore. Unfortunately, Catholic values, such as the cross and holy water against vampires or the priest winning the evil in exorcisms, have been forgotten by an industry where this religion does not prevail. Why shall the evil always win in movies? My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "Dominação" ("Domination")
Samiam3
The reasons why Lost Souls was badly regarded become pretty obvious when you see the film. There are two that come to mind. It is stupid, and not exiting. On the other hand, it's not exactly unwatchable either. If nothing else, at least Janusz Kaminski's antique looking photography makes a nice picture, but in fact Lost Souls did a bit more for me, only a bit though.Maya Larkin is a teacher at a seminary school. She and her Catholic colleagues are convinced that Satan is about to enter human form, more specifically, the body of author Peter Kelson. His name was mentioned by a patient in a mental ward who was subject to an exorcism that went wrong and left Maya's tutor Father Lareaux on death's doorstep. Now Maya is going after Peter, hoping to find him before Satan does.One of the reasons I like Lost Souls is sort of a matter of personal taste. I've always loved Winona Rider, she has a great screen presence and her body of work shows a wide variety of faces. One could argue however that this is her most superficial role, but even so, she is not a lazy actress. Too bad the script didn't give her quite enough of a character.There are three things that Lost Soul could use; a brain, an energy boost, and perhaps another ten to fifteen minutes in running length. The ending is rushed and is about as anti-climactic as cinema can get. When I see this kind of thing happen, sometimes I want to think that maybe there was a longer ending planned, but something went wrong in the editing room.None of us can ever know. What we do know is that Lost Souls is dumb, and while it is probably destined for obsurity, it's not unwatchable.
