First of all this movie is not a delayed sequel to any cult horror flick. On the whole ‘Lost Souls’ is like a dark Henry James-Freud inflicted reading of Milton’s “Paradise Lost’. A lot of the word “Lost” going around right? This latest Winona Ryder vehicle loses an essential ingredient in its main course; originality. A genre battered and weather-beaten since the eve of the millenium; that of the supernatural with psychological trappings of suspense.
Our tormented, troubled heroine Maya Larkin (Ryder), not a nun but some kind of religious attaché discovers the existence of the evil incarnate, the antichrist. No! Damien Thorne did not return from the dead and this is not another “Omen” installment. In fact, this dormant antichrist resides in a very unassuming, dynamic criminologist turned writer Peter Kelson (Ben Chaplin). The story comes to light as clear as a sunny blue day. Maya spends the rest of the movie in convincing Peter of his hideous destiny. An extensive conspiracy is unearthed as he comes to realize that everything in his life since his birth has been a lie. His gradual mortification at this elephantine betrayal laces the events that create a rather cliched build-up. So when the climax hits you, it tastes as bad as flat, stale beer.
For a viewer who’s new to this kind of cinema, ‘Lost Souls’ may actually come off as scary. But for a diehard horror movie aficionado it falls “Splat!” as a strange brew of the ‘Sixth Sense’, ‘Omen’ and the all time chiller ‘Exorcist’.
After a sterling performance as a disturbed young woman in ‘Girl, interrupted’, Winona Ryder does not disappoint. But her choice of this role is left to be questioned. With beguiling eyes screaming out terror, frantic dialog delivery in quivering fervor, her energy manages to overwhelm the proceedings. As for Ben Chaplin, his Brit versatility needs to fleshed out a bit more. From the bumbling photographer in ‘The Truth about Cats and Dogs’ to the war-torn soldier in ‘The Thin Red Line’ he has shown his potential. The supporting cast has a few unfamiliar faces but two standout: John Hurt (‘Alien’) and Elias Koteas (‘God’s Army’, ‘Crash’).
Despite its many shortcomings, ‘Lost Souls’ wins in the technical department probably because the director Janusz Kaminski is a cinematographer (for ‘Schindler’s List’ and ‘Saving Private Ryan’) turned director. The use of fewer characters in the context manages to engross the viewer in the bleak sequential pattern. The darkened film stock attributed to the scenes shot in the dark mode add to the somber suspense and finally lead to the deflated climax.
A lost cause it certainly is because ‘Lost Souls’ can do an unwanted spin on your expectations, leaving you with a tinge of bitterness in your viewing palate. This smorgasbord can be avoided at all costs.