DVD Review: The Lost
The Lost (2006)
Studio: Anchor Bay
DVD Release Date: March 18, 2008
Directed By: Chris Sivertson
Cast: Marc Senter, Shay Aster, Alex Frost, Michael Bowen, Robin Sydney
Brutal As Hell Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Review By: Marc Patterson
Jack Ketchum is indisputably the master at shocking horror. No one gets it done better than this guy. He’ll grab you by your intestines and drag you through hell with pleasure. When alone in the woods I always count on his books as a good fireside companion. The Lost was the kind of book that lulls you into a sense of comfort and then rips your guts out with a jagged razor. Then again, this is typical for Ketchum.
The Lost tells the tale of Ray Pye (Marc Senter), a disturbed young man, who one summer evening decided to murder two young girls by their campfire. The story then picks up four years later where we find that Pye, though the prime suspect of the shootings, was never arrested for lack of evidence. It doesn’t keep him any further off the radar of Detective Charlie Schilling (Michael Bowen), who still knows Pye has committed the murders and is dedicated to putting him away before he has the chance to kill again. With Pye’s frequent violent meltdowns causing wear and tear to his relationship with girlfriend Jennifer, Schilling sees his opportunity to play her against him so he can finally make the arrest, but will he have acted too late?
The Lost is a swift moving film that keeps you firmly in its grip, suddenly bringing everything together in a frenzied nightmarish climax, which made even a desensitized, shock-proof, sonovabitch like me look away. And that’s no lie. Marc Senter is absolutely terrifying as Ray Pye. The sociopathic character oozes out of him almost naturally. There’s no reason to not compare his stellar performance to that of Christian Bale’s outstanding delivery in American Psycho, or even (dare I say) to the young Jack Nicholson from The Shining. The supporting cast delivered equally believable performances, which kept me enthralled as the drama unfolded and we were catapulted into one of the most vicious climaxes in modern horror cinema.
The Lost is another two thumbs up hit for Ketchum. The adaptation to screen was superb, and while I not as seamless of adaptation as The Girl Next Door, Chris Sivertson got it done hands down, no questions asked. The cinematography and technical aspects of the film were all top notch. I’m disappointed that neither this film, nor The Girl Next Door were ever given their proper due in the theater. Both were outstanding films which deserved a broader viewership than what they got.
The film is guaranteed to be worth the cost of a rental, and certainly deserves to be a part of your collection. However you slice and dice it, The Lost comes highly recommended.
