While the cast is fun, Schumacher is predictably at his best when The Lost Boys is a vibe check, aestheticizing vampires into an ’80s fashion ideal as they race their motorcycles down the beach, power ballads wailing into the night.

Full Review | Mar 12, 2025

A story that starts with promise, is peppered with strong performances (especially from Kiefer Sutherland), and seems to be going somewhere devolves into a formulaic disappointment.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Oct 29, 2024

This Joel Schumacher-directed picture is so devoid of surprises, authentic thrills, and effective comedy that it’s essentially just a pitifully cobbled-together bore.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/10 | Sep 16, 2024

They may be lost, but these boys have certainly found something that brings them together.

Full Review | Oct 27, 2022

The two parts never click together, and neither by itself is very good.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Oct 17, 2022

That the film works so well is a testament to Schumacher’s pop sensibilities, his slick production design and an iconic soundtrack — Echo & the Bunnymen’s version of People Are Strange is a majestic way to begin a movie.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 14, 2022

This snappy, snazzy vampire flick looks better today than it did back in 1987, when it was overshadowed by superior mid-'80s horror films like The Fly, Fright Night, Re-Animator, and Day of the Dead.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Sep 25, 2022

Flamboyant and over-the-top, this movie is still effortlessly watchable with the campy moments becoming more fun with age.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Sep 23, 2022

As horror/vampire movies go, The Lost Boys is on the tamer side but no less impactful.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Sep 19, 2022

Viewed through that lens, "Lost Boys" feeling at times aimed at kids and a little dull-toothed makes sense. It’s still a good time and one that’ll continue to fit well into the spooky season viewing rotation with this new format.

Full Review | Sep 19, 2022

Yes, it’s a horror film with vampires and a little (very little actually) blood and gore tossed in, but it fully embraces its comedy elements which helps give it a unique flavor.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Aug 23, 2022

The Lost Boys gives an injection of lifeblood into a tired genre that needed some resurrecting at the time. It's an exhilarating ride, a madcap line of quips and thrills that make it a hard to forget, bloody cocktail.

Full Review | Nov 12, 2021

The Lost Boys redefined vampires for a generation, and while it nails the aesthetic, it's still a bit slight in the character department.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 10, 2021

Boys is something of the nerdy dude version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer before there was Buffy.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Jul 8, 2020

Slick, savvy and scary, "The Lost Boys" is a hip horror comedy with the full-throttle excitement of a rollercoaster ride and the pop culture fluency of a Stephen King best seller.

Full Review | Jun 25, 2020

It's the more than correct direction of Schumacher that prints a good rhythm to the footage and shows he can be very imaginative at times. [Full Review in Spanish]

Full Review | Apr 22, 2020

It's not a fully realized product, but it brings new ideas, which, despite its limitations, is commendable. [Full Review in Spanish]

Full Review | Apr 20, 2020

The Lost Boys, in its artless way, asks us to consider that being for ever young isn't a sweet Edwardian evocation of innocence, but a vision of pure hell, like vampirism.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 14, 2020

There is a ton of gore, a bit of mystery, and The Lost Boys manages to be scary without crossing the line into campy.

Full Review | Jul 4, 2019

The Lost Boys is a nice balance of the genres, thus appealing to wide tastes. The film is fun, and not too frightening, and delivers lines with impeccable timing.

Full Review | Jan 19, 2018