I still remember watching this film in the cinema more than 20 years ago, and, as the credits started to roll, how everyone else got up and left, muttering about how pathetic that ending was. I just sat there with the eerie feeling that I was the only one who got what had really just happened. Where everyone else saw two humans managing to defeat a 2000 years-in-the-making plot by Satan with a simple handgun, I saw the devil exiting a car to herald in the apocalypse. This was a twist I did not see coming, and it took me a few minutes to even fully realize what had actually just happened. The rest of the audience just didn't see it at all. This is both what makes the film brilliant and, ironically, is its biggest downfall. Satan is well known to be the Prince of Lies. It makes total sense that the audience is deceived into thinking he is defeated, while really he (or she, as it turns out) won. Unfortunately, by deceiving the audience in this way, the audience is also unable to recognize the brilliance of the storytelling. My recommendation to anyone who saw this film and was disappointed on the first viewing primarily based on a perceived poor ending: Go watch it again. But this time do so with the knowledge that Maya becomes Satan at the end. It transforms the film.

Surprisingly slow given its premise.

I saw this movie at the big screen 21 years ago. I still can remember the whole audience laughing when the car stereo clock changed to 6:66. It was the ridiculous climax of a neverending succession of goofs, bad plot, and worst dialogues for this infamous mistake that Winona made. Never thought watching it again was worthy. Still convinced of it as far as I'm writing this opinion.

I love these kinds of movies. Suspense and the devil. Good timing. A fine cast with nice performances from Winona Ryder, Ben Chaplin, Angela Basset, John Hurt and Elias Koteas. The storyline is excellent. The effects are superior to 'The Exorcist', which I laughed at all the way through. Horror does not have to be filled with blood and guts and gore.

It takes more than an hour to get to to the main theme of the movie. Too slow. Definitely not scary. Bad plot. The only good thing is Ben Chaplin's performance .

Steven Spielberg's ace cinematographer, Janusz Kaminski, stumbled with his directorial debut in this elegantly filmed, but dramatically aloof horror film. It's an exorcism story that forget to be scary. I suppose that could be forgiven if there was an interesting story or characters, but this film is lacking those as well too. However, the film is visually arresting and also features a strong cast led by Winona Ryder as a survivor of demonic possession and a young priest played by Ben Chaplin. Philip Baker Hall, John Hurt, Elias Koteas, and John Diehl also appear in the film.

John Townsend (Elias Koteas): God will forgive me. The transformation is near. This had the makings of a good "Stigmata"-esque film, it could have been so creepy but it just got ridiculous by the end. It's shame too because there were some really talented supporting cast like John Hurt (Father Lareaux) and Philip Baker Hall (Father James). I love Winona Ryder as an actress and she was perfect as Maya Larkin-- she has that combination of sweet-girl-next-door innocence and mischievious-up-to-no-good-trouble-making-goth-vibe-girl down to a Science. I also like Ben Chaplin (Peter Kelson) as an actor; I remember loving him in "The Truth About Cats & Dogs" and he was great in "The Waterhorse" too. Unfortunately, as nicely as he performed in this film, it wasn't a role that made him shine. I think Peter was just too one-dimensional, they tried to make him so mysterious, he just came across as an unimaginative character. The story was interesting but the plot twist was just not huge enough; I don't know why, but for some reason, it just wasn't that compelling. Or maybe the way it was delivered was kind of lame. Either way, the film was not exceptional even though the potential was there.

Suspense films that center around the supernatural, and especially the demonic are my favorite of that genre. However, Lost Souls is quite a bore and fails to bring anything new to the table. As likable as Winona Ryder can be, her talents are just wasted here.

ok supernatural thriller.

Another awful dud for Winona Ryder poor lady she used o be the queen of the box office in the 90's but the new millennium turned out to start pretty badly for her... She made pretty much nothing worth watching for the whole decade and this terrible horror wanna be film is a pure waste of time. Janusz Kaminski trying to direct a film isn't a good idea, more like a deadly stinker.

Totally devoid of any substance.

Lost Souls is the BEST MOVIE in the world. The cinematics are WONDROUS, portraying the passion and power enveloping the deep well drawn and sometimes dark character of Winona Ryder. This movie is addictive and I always watch it in the fall; when the wind pulls and the clouds form a grayness over the falling darkness with the overlay of the streetlights. This movie has deep character roles with symbolism,mystery and dark, deep visuals that enter your psyche in a prophetic way. Watch it again again and solve the deep and dark mystery of LOST SOULS

Weak movie that couldn't hold my interest

Again. How do you give zero stars? Oh Winona Ryder and Ben Chaplin. Why?

'Lost Souls' is an interesting misfire despite the fact that it is a good thriller. To start with it is a really ambitious film dealing with the coming of the Antichrist, or at least the strong belief of Maya Larkin (the character played by Winona Ryder) that this coming is actually going to happen very soon. The problem I have, however, is that we do not really get to know Maya Larkin very well throughout the movie. We watch her in her quest but we do not understand her well and we doubt her motivations. She is not believable as a person of faith with the necessary experience and background dealing with the 'evil' at hand. The film starts well creating a dark foreboding atmosphere but stays at a level of a suspenseful thriller without any theological or philosophical implications. One would think that if so much is at stake then something more should be needed in order for us to root for her the way we did for Fathers Merrin and Karras in the 'Exorcist'. The cinematography/photography by Mauro Fiore is outstanding.

this is a great movie. but sad. perhaps the reason it is so disliked is that it is so non-uplifting. the atmosphere of the piece is not one of hollywood sadness. rank sentimentality. but of genuine emotional grief. a powerful and cathartic movie. and also one of the best shot films you will ever see.

Another catholic propaganda payed by Vatican...

It was not Winona Ryder's finest piece of work. Not good.

Lost Souls is a dark and suspenseful thriller that explores the battle between spiritual forces. The story follows an exorcist who attempts to save a man who has been mark to be Satan's vessel, so that he can take human form. Winona Ryder and Ben Chaplin lead the cast and give solid performances. The film is very stylized and atmospheric, which helps it to maintain an air of suspense and a sense of foreboding. And while the material is fairly derivative, it does have some dark turns and twists that give the story some additional intrigue and edginess. Though it does have flaws, Lost Souls is a hauntingly chilling supernatural thriller.

Far from terrible the plot is just a bit lacking and the story-line could have used a little more meat. Otherwise it is a serviceable little movie that still bares viewing.