Long Lost

Directorial debut films are always interesting to me, for many different reasons. First of all i love to see a new film maker, tell us a story from their perspective. I also love to see a new film maker give us their own unique style, no matter what the genre is. We could probably mention a lot of first films from many directors, but i have chosen two films that i especially remember for different reasons. Let´s begin with the independent film Safety Not Guaranteed, a drama comedy from director Colin Trevorrow. This is a really charming film, that tells the story of three magazine employees, who head out to meet a very odd man known as Kenneth ( really well played by actor Mark Duplass ), who wrote an an add in a paper, that he needs help with his time travel mission. Wonderful actress Aubrey Plaza as the character Darius, gives us one of her best performances in this film. Safety Not Guaranteed is an independent film, that shows us that no matter how strange people can be, we might have more in common than we think. If you have not seen this film, it is a must see from director Colin Trevorrow. I suggest you buy the DVD or Blu Ray, since this is a film that you will want to watch again. Let´s mention actor Mark Duplass again, in my next pick for the film known as Creep. Directed by Patrick Brice, this is a found footage horror film, that you will not forget. Character Josef ( really creepy played by actor Mark Dupass ) is exactly the kind of person you don´t want to have at your home on Sunday dinner. Creep was made on an extreme low budget, but manage to feel very effective as a horror film. Director Patrick Brice manage to bring out a very honest portrait on human behavior, and not to trust anyone completely. If you enjoy found footage horror films, then Creep is a must see. Recently i was going through a list of films on VOD that looked interesting, and i came across a film called Long Lost. An independent film that seems to have an interesting plot. Since i am a big fan of independent films, i decided to give this film a chance. Is is possible that Long Lost is the independent film a wider audience should see, or will people forget about this film as fast as they have seen it ?

Seth ( Adam Weppler recieve a letter, inviting him to go to his brother Richard ( Nicolas Tucci ) at his enormous mansion. Seth does not really know his brother, so this is a chance for them to get to know each other. At the mansion lives Richard´s partner Abby ( Catherine Corcoran ), a woman who is not only beautiful but also seductive. But after a short time in the mansion, Seth is beginning to feel that there is something wrong. His brother is acting strange, and so is Abby as well. What is really going on behind these walls ? Is Richard really telling the truth about their lives, or is there a hidden secret waiting to be revealed ?
One of the things that become clear to me after watching Long Lost, is that this film really dare to change direction, with an ending that is clever. When you think you know what is going on, the ending will surely change your mind in a positive way, since there is much more behind the curtains than you might think. I have to say, Long Lost is a film that does not try to be predictable, and i really appreciate that. We could have easily had a plot that you would know the plot, but that changes with a dramatic surprise. Let´s get into the characters for a bit. Lead character Seth ( played by actor Adam Weppler ), is a character who clearly is trying to fit in, but have a hard time doing that in this big mansion. Adam gives a solid performance, and i really appreciate that he made his character such a kind guy ( this actually makes sense when you see him struggling being in this house ). Actress Catherine Corcoran ( who most of you probably have seen in the independent horror film Terrifier ) plays the lovely character Abby. Not only does she look fantastic, you also want to be close to her, since she seems to be such a wonderful person. Now, she does surprise us towards the end ( not giving away any spoilers ). Catherine also gives a performance that is solid. The third actor we have to mention is Nicholas Tucci ( who i especially remember from the horror film You´re Next ) plays the psychopath brother Richard, and gives the strongest performance of this film. Nicholas really goes deep into his character, to make us see how disturbing his mind is. Long Lost is a different kind of relationship film, where you don´t really know what is going to happen. Director Erik Bloomquist ( sounds Swedish, maybe he has Swedish roots in his family ? ) has made a full feature directorial debut film that looks good, and manage to give us an interesting look in human behavior, when we are suddenly forced into something unexpected. It is such a shame this film is hard to find on DVD or Blu Ray, but you can check it out on VOD. If you appreciate independent films with a deeper meaning than most Hollywood drama films, you should give this film a chance.

Rating: DDD