Movie · 1987 · Horror, Comedy, Thriller, Drama, Romance · 1h 37m · R · English
Curator score: 4.4/10 (178.1K ratings)
Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It's fun to be a vampire.
Overview
When an unsuspecting town newcomer is drawn to local blood fiends, the Frog brothers and other unlikely heroes gear up to rescue him.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.4/10
IMDb: 7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 75%
Metacritic: 63
TMDB: 7.1/10
Director
Joel Schumacher
Production
Warner Bros. Pictures
Cast
Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Dianne Wiest, Barnard Hughes, Edward Herrmann, Kiefer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Corey Feldman, Jamison Newlander, Brooke McCarter, Billy Wirth, Alex Winter, Chance Michael Corbitt, Alexander Bacan Chapman, Nori Morgan, Kelly Jo Minter, Todd Feder, Christopher Peters, Keith Butterfield, Gerald Younggren
Curator Review
Verdict
A glossy, funny, and very 80s vampire hangout movie that mixes teen rebellion, horror, and queer-coded style into a cult favorite. It’s more about attitude, atmosphere, and chemistry than scares, but that’s exactly why it endures.
Best for
fans of stylish cult horror
viewers who like horror-comedy with teen energy
people drawn to neon-soaked 1980s aesthetics
audiences who enjoy queer-coded subtext and camp
fans of charismatic vampire ensembles
Skip if
you want serious, scary horror
you dislike campy tone shifts
you need tightly plotted genre logic
you’re allergic to 80s fashion and soundtrack excess
Overview
The Lost Boys is pure late-80s pop-goth swagger: a vampire movie that plays like a teen rebellion fantasy, a beach-town nightmare, and a rock video all at once. Joel Schumacher leans hard into style, and the result is a film that feels both slick and slightly unhinged in the best way. It’s less interested in dread than in mood, image, and the thrill of being seduced by the wrong crowd.
Worth noting
What gives it staying power is the mix of humor and menace. The Frog brothers, the family chaos, and the absurdly specific supporting details keep it from floating away on pure cool. At the same time, the movie’s erotic charge and outsider energy are impossible to miss, which is a big part of why it became such a lasting cult object.
Bottom line
If you want a vampire movie with bite, personality, and a very specific kind of 80s glamour, this still delivers. If you’re looking for a polished horror engine or a genuinely frightening bloodsucker story, it may feel more playful than potent. But as a piece of genre style, it’s a standout.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Patrick Willems (3.5★) · 8220 likes
Corey Feldman talking in a deep adult voice for the whole movie is such a choice
vi (5★) · 7800 likes
this movie is basically just david getting pissed off because his crush (michael) doesn't like him back
ciara (3★) · 5580 likes
this is a lot to process... weird californian 80s goth vampire aesthetics... strong gay vibes from sexy vampire kiefer sutherland... vampire hunters are about fourteen years old and no one asks why... random sex scene half way through the movie... corey feldman speaking in a fake deep voice for some reason... a Sexy Sax Man... really i could go on
kaitlyn (5★) · 3996 likes
imagine you’re so repressed that you turn your crush into a vampire instead of just talking to him. unbelievable. mood.
ivy nelson (5★) · 3737 likes
best movie i’ve ever seen. it has everything: love, laughter, friendship, vampires, rampant homoeroticism