Lost After Dark Reviews

Initial Thought: I like these recent retro style horror films. They are usually pretty funny and rather enjoyable. What pulled me in for this one though is the several actors who were on Degrassi. Yes I am a huge Degrassi geek. Plus you have veteran Robert Patrick.

Characters/Acting: It's going to be interesting to see how the several Degrassi actors are in something else. Let alone have them be in an 80s style teen slasher film. Plus it helps to have a legend like Robert Patrick included as I stated before. The whole group of teens here are quite interesting and pretty well portrayed. Tobe, Sean, Wesley, and Marilyn are my favorites of the group though. Justin Kelly seems to be portraying a lot of jocks lately.

Story: In this clever homage to 80's slasher films, a group of teenagers looking to party get stranded when their ride breaks down, and end up being stalked by a cannibalistic killer. It's pretty much the typical story for these kinds of films which is the fun I'm looking for in something like this. It takes about half the movie before things finally get intense. Some of the deaths were quite unexpected and bring an original flare. There are some great twists and turns rather than the typical 80s cliches. Honestly though it takes place in the 80s, but it still feels somewhat of this decade. The ending was pretty good and reminds me of the freeze frame endings from stuff like Friday the 13th. There is an extra little scene at the end of the credits, but if missing it won't really affect anything.

Directing/Writing: This is the only film to be written or directed by Ian Kessner. Bo Ransdell who cowrites this only has one other credit which is a movie about a princess. That's an interesting choice for a horror switch. I think this duo had fun with this story. They definitely paid attention to what made the 80s enjoyable while still making it their own style.

Final Thoughts: I think this is a highly underrated hidden gem. It's in the style of the 80s, but it plays by its own rules. This really didn't disappoint me. I would watch it again for sure.