One of the worst movies I've ever seen

one of my absolute favorites!

Expected more

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Four teens head to a secluded beach for a fun weekend. Before long, the fun dissipates as their trip turns into a nightmare from which they can't seem to escape.This unknown Australian gem is seriously eerie throughout. Like the masterful 'Long Weekend' before it, this film milks it's lonely beach setting to create a genuinely unsettling atmosphere. The storyline isn't exactly original, nor is the ending hard to pick up on, but the film goes about things in it's own unique way and winds up being an oppressive, enigmatic experience despite mining familiar territory. Most intriguing were the bizarre time anomalies and the question of what the beach, complete with rods sticking up out of the sand, truly is.Adding to the mood is an otherworldly score that again reminded me of 'Long Weekend'. More specifically, it made me think back to the eerie cries of the sea cow from that film. The score here sounds strikingly similar. The journey to the film's conclusion, where the double entendre of the title becomes apparent, is a compelling one too. Some may be let down in the end, but there's enough going on even after the revelation for me to feel otherwise.Director Martin Murphy clearly shares my affinity for 'Long Weekend', and it's easy to see this film as a loving homage to Australia's best contribution to the horror genre. It's certainly better than flat-out remaking it. Yeah, I'm thinking of you, Jamie Blanks. All of that aside, 'Lost Things' stands on it's own as a quality film in it's own right.

I just caught Lost Things on Showtime a couple of days ago. Its bad when an Australian film comes out and people haven't even heard of it. Not sure about many of you but I had no idea about Lost Things at all. It all starts with four teens on a surfing holiday. Two men and two woman. Everything thing seems to be going fine till they meet a man called Zippo.This film had me in all the way I was confused and scared at the same time. It takes you a while work out what is going on. Then at the end I think It's up to you yourself to decide what really happened. Which I found to be quiet a good thing.The only few things I didn't like about this film was. I think just a few to many flashbacks of people just staring out to sea. The other was to cast two leading men that look nearly the same.I think this film was shot a very low budget so my hat goes off to the filmmakers. If you haven't got foxtel check it out on DVD a good little Aussie film.

Other comments here allude to fake reviews by marketing or crew persons hyping the film out of proportion. This sometimes is used to attract international sales. My review is not one of those. If you want to amuse yourself by reading deliberately hoaxed reviews have a look at LIQUID BRIDGE, THE PACT, SUMMER CITY and all the films produced or directed by Phil Avalon. You will find they are all rave reviews for hilariously awful amateurish failures. Just cross connect any film with his name on them and get set for a night of uproarious laughter. Also, the new release WOLF CREEK will be the next title to get cast and crew rave reviews all out of proportion to its lame sad reality. Anyway.......LOST THINGS seems like a first feature by a new Australian film maker who just might go on to better things. And I do not mean SWIMFAN 2. One SWIMFAN was bad enough. LOST THINGS however, is a daylight horror film - a very difficult genre of film to get right. This one does, first go. Viewers might be readily assisted by first seeing classics like THE INNOCENTS and DEAD OF NIGHT to get a sense of the eerie outdoor chills this neat low budget thriller has to offer. In the 70s there was a horror cycle of pix in Australia and two well made examples LOST THINGS subconsciously owes a lot of imagery and style to are THE LONG WEEKEND with John Hargreaves, also set on a scary beach, and SUMMERFIELD which was a sunny setting for deadly menace. I would also pointer the truly chilling British film THE WICKER MAN to add a clear sense of what LOST THINGS has to offer. This new Australian pic seems made for almost nothing and looks to be shot on bleached 16mm, enlarged for a welcome cinema release. There are some mistakes in the production, some clunky editing, some wobbly acting moments, and it overcomes all of them. Older teens would love this film and it offers some real scares and major mind games. Well done! Whoever you are. An un necessary gruesome remake almost seems inevitable once Hollywood sees this and decides to make it more explicit and simple.

"I know what you did last Blair Matrix!" I love horror films and this is one of the most refreshing I've ever seen. "Lost Things" has that unsettling, true-to-life feel of "Blair Witch". It takes the archetypal "teens in trouble" formula but then twists the familiar plot into a powerful and unsettling existential psycho-horror story. My "Matrix" reference is nothing to do with bullet time photography or Kung Fu but more about the way "Lost Things" bends perception of time and throws into question the nature of reality."Lost Things" not only celebrates and exploits familiar cinematic-horror elements, it blends them into something bigger than the sum of its parts and ends up being a wholly original and wonderfully disturbing entity. It's a slow pace to start with, which I appreciate in these days of high-octane, smart-alec, body-count horror flicks. Whilst being boldly 21st century, "Lost Things" shares the virtues of classics like "burnt offerings" and the "Changeling" - films that take the time to have you care for the characters and build a 'platform of reality' that makes the horror all the more effective once that platform begins to tilt. And once the momentum kicks in there is plenty of suspense.Director Martin Murphy is a craftsman and he's got together a great team. The sound track and design is harrowingly beautiful. The cinematography, editing, design and direction are congruent, all working together to deliver the story with clarity and atmosphere. Murphy has drawn intense and honest performances from his actors. The Actors well serve Stephen Sewell's terrific script, capturing the darkness, humour and vulnerability of adolescent social/sexual politics. Murphy is obviously working with a tiny budget but he knows what he's doing so we don't miss the crane and tracking shots at all. Far from it - this is one of those great indie films that exploits and transcends the low budget restrictions."Lost things" is a highly enjoyable and unique yarn of a horror film. Complex yet accessible, it creeps in under the skin and continues to seep deeper into the bones. Well worth checking out.