In the past few years, I’ve realized that I am incredibly drawn to content involving vampires. I’m not sure why, except from the fact that they’re a cool mythical concept and vampire lore changes across various genres. Their stories can be interpreted as funny, scary, dramatic, romantic, or all of the above.
I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997). Sinners was a great surprise. I tolerate Twilight, caught up with Interview with the Vampire (2023), and I’ve recently purchased Salem’s Lot (2024). However, it’s important to know where all this popularity for vampires stems from. The answer lies largely in Joel Schumaker’s 1987 cult horror-comedy classic, The Lost Boys.
The Lost Boys follows the Emerson family as they move to the “murder capital of the world,” Santa Carla (a knockoff of Santa Cruz), to start a new, post-divorce life at their grandpa’s house. Lucy, the mom, tries to find a job and a new love; Sam, the youngest, makes friends with local comic book nerds; and Michael, the oldest, falls in with a questionable gang that happens to be vampires.
I watched this once or twice in high school, and only came back to it recently. My most recent rewatch revealed it may be one of the most fun movies ever. It’s campy and pretty revolutionary for a horror-comedy.
This is a great movie to watch in the back half of the year, as the cheesy horror vibes are perfect for Halloween, but the California boardwalk location makes a summer viewing feel just as appropriate.
The production design and costuming are all beautifully over the top, creating a crazy vibe to match the perfect craziness of the plot and warring genres. Grandpa’s strange house, the vampire’s cave, and a loud, technicolor boardwalk set help add to the eerie atmosphere and bold 80s aesthetic.
The characters are interesting, to say the least. Most of them are stereotypical, but they are played by actors who fit those stereotypes well, like Dianne Wiest playing what seems like the hundredth motherly character in her career. Edward Herrmann as Max, Lucy’s nerdy boyfriend, and Barnard Hughes as the best fictional grandpa to ever exist also heavily contribute to making the perfect adult cast.
The two Coreys (Corey Haim and Corey Feldman), as well as Jamison Newlander, are perfectly cast as Sam Emerson and the Frog Brothers, the most humorous aspect of the film. They’re just a bunch of goofballs who give Grandpa’s house the Home Alone treatment when it comes to protecting themselves from impending vampire attacks.
The titular Boys themselves are a beautiful crew of wigs and jackets, played by Alex Winter, Brook McCarter, and Billy Worth. However, their leader is Kiefer Sutherland’s David, who is as handsome and captivating as any cult leader should be. His look became instantly iconic, inspiring Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer later on.
The only characters that suffer are our teen leads: Jason Patric as Michael Emerson and Jami Gertz as Star, the love interest Michael got involved with the gang for in the first place. For a story revolving around their romance, they’re surprisingly dull and passive, not adding much to the plot or being anything more than two pretty faces.
My biggest problem with The Lost Boys, though, is that this particular film doesn’t explore what it’s like to be a vampire like so many others do. I find it’s because the gang-hazing format and the drastic changes Michael experiences are smartly emblematic of the dangers of addiction and conforming to society.
I understand that 80s movies kind of hit differently; they were often much simpler to follow with very surface-level themes. However, with a setting this cool and vampiric characters this entertaining (as well as the constant notion that every vampire is also a former victim), I would’ve liked a little more to chew on.
I will say, though, if you like everything you’ve been reading about so far and want to see this story done with that extra mile of complexity and spectacle, I’d highly recommend the recent Broadway musical by the same name. I saw it back in July and haven’t been able to stop thinking about how good it was.
All that being said, The Lost Boys is a really fun movie that can be enjoyed by anyone at any time, and I’m so glad my love for this film was reignited during my recent vampire craze!
Get ready to sink your teeth into this one!
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