Lost Souls (2000)

A Catholic teacher meets an atheist journalist, whom a group of Catholics and priests believes has been chosen by the devil himself to be the Antichrist.

Director:

Janusz Kaminski

Writers:

Pierce Gardner (story), Betsy Stahl (story)

Stars:

Winona Ryder, Ben Chaplin, Sarah Wynter

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Winona Ryder	...	Maya Larkin
Ben Chaplin	...	Peter Kelson
Sarah Wynter	...	Claire Van Owen
Philip Baker Hall	...	Father James
John Hurt	...	Father Lareaux
Elias Koteas	...	John Townsend
Brian Reddy	...	Father Frank
John Beasley	...	Mike Smythe
John Diehl	...	Henry Birdson
Paul Kleiman	...	Paramedic
Bob Clendenin	...	Mental Patient (as Robert Clenendin)
Oliver Clark	...	Mr. Silberman
Michael Mantell	...	Kleiman
Brad Greenquist	...	George Viznik
Ming Lo	...	Michael Kim

Storyline

A group of Catholics go to a mental institution to perform exorcism in the murderer George Viznik. Father Lareaux, Deacon John Townsend, Father Frank Pageand the teacher Maya Larkin, 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 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, 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.

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Plot Keywords:

priest | mental institution | antichrist | exorcism | devil worship | 

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Taglines:

The Danger Is Unknown. The Truth Will Terrify You. The Power Will Possess You.

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence/terror and some language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 October 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Almas perdidas

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,954,766, 15 October 2000, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$16,779,636, 19 November 2000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$31,355,910, 26 November 2000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Prufrock Pictures, Avery Pix, Castle Rock Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was initially supposed to be released in October 1999. Its trailer was in theaters in Summer 1999. However, due to a flood of "End of the World" movies coming out at the same time (End of Days (1999), Stigmata (1999), et cetera), the decision was made to delay the film. Its new date was February 4, 2000. However, that date was cancelled, after the popular "Scream" franchise staked out that date for Scream 3 (2000). The final release date of October 13, 2000, was finally decided upon, which also happened to be the same day as the re-release of The Exorcist (1973).

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Goofs

(at around 29 mins) When Maya and Peter meet for the first time, the word processor screen on his laptop repeatedly changes. The screen alternates between a whole-page layout and split-page depending on the shot.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Maya Larkin: Look at you. Come here. I told you, you've got to double-knot those things. One of these days we'll have to get you some zipper shoes.

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Crazy Credits

The initial credits appear as numbers morphing into letters plus a reversed shadow.

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Connections

Referenced in Spaced: Dissolution (2001)

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Soundtracks

Tijuana Lady
Written by Ian Ball, Paul Blackburn, Thomas Gray, Benjamin Ottewell (as Benjamin Jo Attewell), Oliver Peacock (as Oliver James Peacock)
Performed by Gomez
Courtesy of Virgin Records Limited under license from Virgin Records America, Inc.

User Reviews

Take a second look

The majority of the reviewers of this film were looking for a movie that isn't there at the expenses of seeing the movie that is. Lost Souls is a tightly wound question balanced on the edge of a knife: Is Maya a psycho killer or the savior of mankind? Given the fact that most psycho killers believe they are saviors of mankind, I opt for the psycho killer interpretation. The movie, which is a continuous balancing of the question, never letting up on clues that raise the question further, opts to let us decide. It allows Maya to walk away from the car after murdering the person she had convinced was the devil. At the fade out, one wonders how she had managed to get away with murdering her parents and how many more she will murder before she is finally stopped.

Ryder, whose eyes have always been a vehicle for her acting, uses them chillingly in the scene in which she murders Father Lareaux. Studying Ryder's evolving facial expressions as Maya finds out that the Father won't support her delusions, takes action, and then gloats at the outcome will convince anyone she's crazy.

An incredible performance. Or the way she handles the scene in which Kelson, her intended victim, casts back to his past to test if he really could be the devil. Kaminski bolsters it with the imagery of a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car unknowingly escaping, for the moment.

Adding up the body count just bolsters the psycho killer interpretation. By her own hand, she kills: the murderer George Viznik, brain dead; Kelson's girlfriend, Claire Van Owen; Father Lareaux and Kelson himself. Murders at her instigation: the investigator, John Townsend; Kelson's uncle/father; and Kelson's brother.

Take a second look. Watch Maya's eyes. Ask yourself at every turn, is this about the devil, or is this about the here and now, a psycho killer walking invisibly among us.