MovieChat Forums > Lost Souls (2000) Discussion > Visually stunning, Incredible movie

Visually stunning, Incredible movie


The rating on IMDB astounds me. I'd give it a solid 9. It is a beautiful film; the filters, the angles, the colors. All of it nuanced to keep the viewer just slightly off balance. The film has a dream like quality to it that was perfect for the subject and the ending.

I had no idea. I imagine that people were expecting something different. Perhaps they were expecting a low-grade horror flick, like the sequels and re-make of the Omen. I was expected to huddle up with popcorn and a computer game like I usually do with horror flicks but I was intent on the screen the whole time because the cinematography was out of this world.

The ambiguity of the ending was the icing on the cake. Did Maya turn evil herself? Did Chaplin's character? Was it a folie a deux? What really happened? I think that's left up the viewer. I just streamed this on netflix but I wish I'd seen it on the big screen.

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I liked this film too. I agree, the cinematography is absolutely STUNNING...as is the soundtrack!!! Jan Kaczmarek (he also did the superb music for "Unfaithful") captures all the moods beautifully, especially the music at the end credits.
In fact, I just found the soundtrack online and ordered it tonight. Yay!!

The ending could have been stronger, I must say. It seemed too....abrupt. Watching Maya run out of the car and into a church, or even collapse on the ground sobbing asking for forgiveness...or talking to Peter, would have been better. She just hops numbly out of the car, which does bring an interesting idea (what you mentioned) that Maya turned evil. Maybe the evil "jumped" into her, or she was corrupted simply because of her actions. It would have been great to have seen Peter appear smiling, or whisper to her, that it was OK and he was safe now.
I personally think Peter Kelson turned evil. He was wincing, anticipating the shot, then suddenly...relaxes! He had no reason to relax, to think that everything was okay! He knew what Maya was going to do, and had accepted it. I truly believe he became evil.



"I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus."
"Didn't he discover America?"
"Penfold, shush."

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I also like this film very much. The cinematography, music, and atmosphere really help enhance the dark nature of the story. There are definitely a few plot holes, and a lot of the story is very ambiguous (psychological or supernatural??), but I think "Lost Souls" gets a much worse reputation than it deserves. Definitely worth checking out.

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I love this movie. I pop it in once in a while when I'm bored, and I always enjoy it. Just got done watching it actually.
I agree the atmosphere is great- very spooky and just plain weird.
The way people kept saving Peter was one of the things that stuck out the most to me. First the old woman who yanks him back from the car, licks her lips and starts nonchalantly singing that haunting operatic tune. And the way his brother rescues him from John. Just grabs his arm and snaps his neck, just like that. Doesn't take the gun, doesn't beat him up, doesn't show any sign of rage or fear, just coolly cracks his neck like it had been rehearsed for ages... Chilling.
The ending wasn't very strong, and I'm always left wishing we knew a little bit more about what happened afterwords, but in general, I thought the whole film was a mirror for the way things really felt in the last few years leading up to the new millennium: everyone looking for the apocalypse that never came.



~*~
Vanity fairgrounds and rebel angels can't be trusted with feathers so hollow.

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---spoiler ---








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Peter became the anti-christ when the clocked changed to 4:55 and he tries to tell Maya that 'nothing happened'. She isn't sure, and then looks at the clock, and the digital readout is turning to '666'. Peter (devil) is then having a hard time not smiling (like - ha, ha, the joke's on you -- I really did become the anti-christ), and she has brief seconds to kill him because he apparently wasn't completely 'changed' -- maybe because the clock hadn't ticked from 4:55 to 4:56 yet? Anyway, I don't believe Maya 'turned evil'. She killed the anti-christ, that's all!

I love this film and watch it every once in awhile. I really like Wynona Ryder and Ben Chaplin, and I love the 'moody' and 'muted' feel of this movie.




"I can't stand a naked light bulb, any more than..a rude remark or a vulgar action" Blanche DuBois

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I agree, totally, that this movie was visually stunning and a real nail biter. One is never certain if Maya is insane or if the supernatural events are actually occurring. Several others commented that they though the ending was ambiguous or confusing: did Maya actually kill Peter or did she become converted? I thought it was clear that she did shoot him and then calmly exited the car.

I have a copy of the original script, and there are two additional scenes that take place at the police station. In it, Maya tells policeman Randall that Peter saved himself by giving her the gun and that she saved all of humanity by killing "the thing that was not a man." The policeman comments that this must be a ploy for an insanity plea, but that "she's going down." Last scenes involve a Cardinal Coleman talking to an Edward Kendall. The Cardinal comments that "He was in. And she shot him." This indicates that the Cardinal was part of the Satanic group and that they had failed. Edward comments that they "can't start over" to which the Cardinal comments, "it's all your fault." Finally, the offscreen voice of Edward Viznick comments. "You'll burn." There is a BEAT, then Viznick continues, "For all eternity." The Cardinal and Edward very nervously exit the police station as the wind starts to howl.

Maybe the Cardinal scene was unnecessary and deleted from the shooting script (or lost in editing). I don't think it would have added much to the movie. What do you think?

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@boz5099:

Cool that you have the script :)

Also, those other deleted scenes are interesting, and makes sense that there were other scenes because the movie did seem to end abruptly.

However, I don't think those particular scenes would have added much. Maybe there could have been a bit more of Maya, walking away from the car (maybe the car could have inexplicably caught fire behind her as she was walking away -- not a big blast or anything -- just a little ignite and a slow burn), a sun ray bursting through -- maybe some other low-key symbolic thing happening, like the deer re-appearing and running off (corny I know), or church bells chiming or a group of kids walking by singing, or something. But the other scenes that were deleted that you describe seem a bit too lengthy and in-your-face obvious at that point in the movie (?)

I also don't think that she should have been arrested or anything. I think that, once the world was set right by the anti-Christ being killed, that it would have just started up again, without any real acknowledgement about what she did or what had happened -- as if it never had happened / only Maya would have that 'secret' knowledge at that point and everyone else would have a form of amnesia -- kind of like how it was handled at the end of Stephen King's IT.



"I can't stand a naked light bulb, any more than..a rude remark or a vulgar action" Blanche DuBois

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Oh, I agree! I watched this today and thought it was great. Dark, moody, atmospheric and with such an interesting plot. It didn't need any pop-out scares or ghosts and it puts most modern day 'demonic/exorcism' films to shame. It relied solely on atmosphere, soundtrack, lighting, mood and characters to tell the story. The directing is some of the best I've seen in a while and the director made every frame visually stunning -- like it was a portrait. And the 'scare' moments of the film were all effectively done.

I knew from the trailer that this would be a good one. The IMDb rating is barbaric and I would say that this movie is way better than 'Stigmata'.

You're either playing dumb, or it's not an act.

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slasherguyy^

Agree and DEFINITELY better than 'Stigmata'.

I sat through 'Stigmata' once and that was enough.

I've watched 'Lost Souls' probably a good half dozen times at least.

'Lost Souls' from the very beginning credits really captures me and sets a mood that keeps me intrigued throughout (with the exception of how a few scenes are handled, such as the one with the crazy killer math prof howling & dissolving), even with my knowing how it's all going to play out.

I also LOVE the cinematography.





"I will not go gently onto a shelf, degutted, to become a non-book." ~ Bradbury

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I agree as well. This was the best of the 1999 end of the world movies. I remember watching the trailer and being excited about movie. Then it was delayed.

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Completely agree! I like this movie! The cinemtography is amazing!

Prostitute: What the *beep* are you doing?
Johnny: I'm gonna kill a bunch of people.

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[deleted]

I agree, this is one of my favorite movies and I've watched it more times than I can count. I like everything about it, and so well, that I wished it could have been longer.

The general public and the critics are so hard to please, and it seems that most of the time when they are pleased, it's more or less cookie cutter junk with all the cliches.

The vibe of this movie really draws me in and keeps me coming back. They really did an amazing job of creating the right vibe and maintaining it all the way through. That can be very hard to do.

If I had to guess at why most didn't like it, it's probably because there just wasn't enough action. People like action and scary stuff around every corner in movies like this, but this movie had a slower pace and involved a lot of investigation, mystery and subtlety. That's exactly the kind of stuff I like in movies like this, but it's not really satisfying for today's 'fast food' 'sugar high' movie goers.

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