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The Lost – Ronin Flix (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 2006
Director: Chris Sivertson
Writer: Chris Sivertson
Cast: Marc Senter, Shay Astar, Alex Frost, Megan Henning, Robin Sydney, Michael Bowen, Ed Lauter, Dee Wallace, Erin Brown, Ruby Larocca, Tom Ayers, Tony Carreiro, Katie Cassidy

Release Date: December 12th, 2023
Approximate Running Time: 119 Minutes 25 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 English, DTS-HD Stereo English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"19-year-old Ray Pye (Marc Senter) is a black-clad suburban sociopath who meets his match when a new girl with a taste for the dark side, Katherine Wallace (Robin Sydney), arrives in town. Together, they are a dangerous couple whose deadly games lead to a horrific and shocking climax." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "New 2K remaster produced from a 4K scan of the original camera negative completed by Ronin Flix."

The Lost comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.2 GB

Feature: 36.4 GB

The source used for this transfer is in excellent shape. Flesh tones and colors look correct; image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid.

Audio: 4.5/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 English, DTS-HD Stereo English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English and a DTS-HD stereo mix in English. Both audio tracks are in excellent shape. Dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. Included are removable English SDHs.

Extras:

Extras for this release include original Jack and Jill short film directed by Chris Sivertson (2 minutes 6 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), storyboard sequence (3 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo with music from The Lost playing in the background), outtakes (16 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo with music from The Lost playing in the background), audition tapes (6 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo with music from The Lost playing in the background), an interview with actress Shay Astar (20 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Robin Sydney (19 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Marc Senter (11 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with director Chris Sivertson and producer Lucky McKee, an audio commentary with author Jack Ketchum moderated by writer Monica O’Rourke, and a slipcover (initial pressing only).

Summary:

Directed by Chris Sivertson, who is most known for directing All Cheerleaders Die and I Know Who Killed Me. The screenplay was adapted from Jack Ketchum’s (The Girl Next Door, The Woman) novel of the same name.

The narrative revolves around a sociopath and his two friends, who witnessed him kill two girls. Flash forward: four years later, the events of that night continue to haunt his two friends while the sociopath struggles to control his rage.

Though The Lost has all of the elements that one expects from a revenge-themed film, After a strong opening that does a great job setting the stage for what follows, at just under two hours, there are many moments where the narrative drags. And nowhere is this clearer than when it comes to scenes where a sociopath and his two friends interact. Many of these moments go on a few beats longer than they should, and by drawing these moments out, they do little to enhance the story at hand.

The most surprising aspect of The Lost are the performances, especially by Marc Senter (The Devil’s Carnival) in the role of Ray Pye, a sociopath cut from the same mold as Norman Bates. There are a few elements in The Lost that feel like a direct nod to Psycho, notably an overbearing mother character, and Ray also works at a motel like Norman. That said, he delivers a memorable performance that perfectly captures his character's inability to curb his violent impulses. When it comes to the rest of the cast, they are very good at their roles.

From a production standpoint, The Lost does a very good job maximizing its resources. Also, trying to adapt a novel into a film can be a tricky proposition. In the case of The Lost, it is a faithful adaptation of Jack Ketchum’s novel. That said, though, The Lost has just as many positives as there are negatives. Fortunately, when it comes to truly disturbing moments like a brutal double murder that opens and a massacre that closes the film, this is where The Lost delivers in spades. Ultimately, The Lost is an overlong film that would have benefited from tighter editing.

The Lost gets an excellent release from Ronin Flix that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of extras.