Lost Souls Review

Maya, a woman once exorcised of an evil spirit, puzzles out a code scrawled by a possessed mathematician and concludes that Peter Kelson is due to become the Antichrist. Kelson assumes Maya is a lunatic, but then events force him to rethink...

by Kim Newman |
Published on
Release Date:

12 Jan 2001

Running Time:

98 minutes

Certificate:

15

Original Title:

Lost Souls

A disappointing millennial themed horror from Spielberg's cinematographer Janusz Kaminski.

A middle-of-the-road effort from all concerned features Winona Ryder (at 30 finally looking like a woman) as Maya Larkin. A small group of Catholics led by an ailing priest believe that Satan intends to become man, just as God did in the person of Jesus. The writings of a possessed mental patient lead them to Peter Kelson, a writer who studies serial killers. They think it's his body Satan will occupy.

The youngest in the group, a teacher named Maya Larkin, goes to Peter to investigate further and to convince him to believe in the possibility of Evil incarnate. Other signs come to him as he and Maya take a journey full of strange occurrences, self-discovery, and an ultimate showdown.

Contains a bizarre goof where an obviuosly fake wall undulates like a sheet in the wind prior to a "malign spirit" bursting through said wall.

Won't live in the memory but might help you fill the void for a couple of hours.

For Winona Ryder completists, maverick Biblical scholars, fans of monied Manhattan interiors and Mark Kermode. All others, beware.
Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website, we never allow this to influence product selections - read why you should trust us