Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The Lost Boys 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Fangs for the memories.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III September 18, 2022

Released alongside Warner Bros.' new 4K edition of Poltergeist, Joel Schumacher's vampire classic The Lost Boys also makes its long-awaited debut on UHD this week as a disc that more or less follows the same eerily specific formula: upgrade the 2008 Blu-ray of an 80s classic that had two inferior sequels with a brand-new 4K restoration and bad cover artwork just in time to commemorate an important milestone. But while this 4K edition, timed for The Lost Boys' 35th anniversary, doesn't include any major audio upgrades or tweaks to the bonus features, it does manage to build upon an already well-rounded disc to create another definitive home video release that fans will enjoy.

For a synopsis and appreciation of the main feature, please refer to Martin Liebman's linked review of the 2008 Blu-ray, which has been repackaged twice over the past 14 years with no apparent changes to disc content. As with our earlier Blu-ray review of Poltergeist, I feel comfortable awarding The Lost Boys a still-solid four stars rather then anything higher but likewise consider it a very effective film that's held up surprisingly well over the years.

The Lost Boys 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NOTE: The screenshots in this review are all sourced from the newly-remastered Blu-ray disc and, as such, obviously do not represent the 2160p, HDR10-enhanced transfer on the 4K disc. Both transfers are reviewed below.

As is the case with the wide majority of Warner Bros.' 4K catalog releases, this outstanding 2160p transfer features a strong and stable image that's slightly sweetened in key areas but nonetheless seems to preserve the film's intended appearance -- it looks like a product of its time, and that's absolutely no complaint. The Lost Boys has an unmistakable visual style, one whose persistent black levels are supported strongly by vivid cross-lighting and locations that drip with 1980s visual flair. Obviously the boardwalk scenes are standouts, with inviting atmospheres like the video and comic stores as well as other shops dotted with arcade games, colorful signs, and neon lighting. The Lost Boys' underground headquarters, a hybrid of murky cave dwellings and an edgy teen's bedroom, likewise looks great; everything's lit for show here (maybe to a ridiculous extent), so nothing of importance is lost in the shadows. Its native 4K source material plays without a hitch at every turn with strong textures, very fine film grain, and excellent contrast, while the HDR10 enhancement supports is era-specific color design almost* perfectly. If you haven't seen The Lost Boys in several years or even decades, this 2160p transfer will be like seeing the film for the first time.

* - One possible cause for concern occurs starting at the 1:26:30 mark: brief one-frame white flashes occur between shot changes, exactly seven times during the next 30 seconds. (Without dipping into spoiler territory, it happens during a climactic death scene that's predominantly white.) This anomaly occurred nowhere else during the movie, nor was it visible on the Blu-ray at the same spot... so there's either something going on with the disc's HDR10 layer here, or the root cause is just on my end. UPDATE 9/22: No forum members have encountered this problem to any degree, so it is safe to assume this is not a widespread issue but rather something related to my specific setup.

Much like Warner Bros.' new 4K edition of Poltergeist, The Lost Boys also includes a remastered Blu-ray disc that is not available separately. As such, it shares many of the same source-related highlights including strong image detail, striking color depth, excellent black levels, and an overall stability that consistently outshines the 2008 Blu-ray edition. Aside from typical format-specific issues like trace compression artifacts and banding, the only issue here occurs during scenes bathed in red (this happens several times during the film's final act), which are already somewhat unavoidably flattened on the 4K disc but which bleed slightly here due to saturation levels that buckle under the limitations of SDR. (I noticed a similar issue on Warner Bros.' Blu-ray of The Batman, which ventured into similarly oversaturated territory in the home stretch.) Yet overall, it's still a very solid 1080p transfer that easily exceeds the 2008 disc.

The Lost Boys 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

NOTE: Both the 4K and Blu-ray discs in this release feature the same default audio track, reviewed below.

Though original 35mm prints of The Lost Boys came equipped with Dolby stereo audio, 70mm blow-up prints used a six-track mix so one can only assume that's where the 5.1 remixes on all digital home video releases stemmed from. Warner Bros.' earlier 2008 Blu-ray opted for a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track but this new 4K disc repurposes it to DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio and, although the differences are not major (and may not even be apparent to those not actively listening for them), I was able to detect a bit more sonic vibrancy at key moments despite this newer track's similarities in both fidelity and level balance, which means that any main observations in our review of the 2008 Blu-ray still hold true. Most will still find this be a very satisfying track that, in many respects, defies the film's age by a good 5-10 years, although the continued omission of the theatrical stereo mix is still a bit disappointing.

Optional subtitles, including English (SDH), are included during the main feature and all applicable extras.

The Lost Boys 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Similar to Warner Bros.' new 4K edition of Poltergeist, The Lost Boys ships in a standard dual-hubbed keepcase with not-so-great cover artwork, a matching slipcover, and a Digital Copy redemption code. The on-disc bonus features are identical to Warner Bros.' well-rounded 2008 Blu-ray and are listed below in name only.

4K DISC

• Audio Commentary with director Joel Schumacher

BLU-RAY DISC

• Audio Commentary with director Joel Schumacher

• The Lost Boys: A Retrospective (24:00)

• Inside the Vampire's Cave

• A Director's Vision (6:57)
• Comedy vs. Horror (4:44)
• Fresh Blood: A New Look At Vampires (4:23)
• The Lost Boys Sequel? (2:25)

• Vamping Out: The Undead Creations of Greg Cannom (14:02)

• Haimster & Feldog: The Story of the 2 Coreys (4:30)

• Multi-Angle Video Commentary for selected scenes

• Corey Haim (19:10)
• Corey Feldman (18:23)
• Jamison Newlander (19:10)

• A World of Vampires (14:02)

• The Lost Scenes (15:16)

• "Lost in the Shadows" Music Video (4:34)

• Theatrical Trailer (1:24)

The Lost Boys 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Joel Schumacher's vampire classic The Lost Boys might be the director's best film, a potent mixture of horror, comedy, and great music that still entertains 35 years later. Timed more than a month before Halloween, Warner Bros.' welcome 4K UHD edition is one of the studio's more well-rounded catalog releases with a solid new 4K transfer (except for one very brief issue I noticed during playback, which may or may not be a minor disc defect), a great lossless audio track, and all of the original Blu-ray's well-rounded bonus features. Along with their simultaneous release of Poltergeist this week, The Lost Boys is a firmly Recommended purchase for die-hard fans and newcomers alike.