The Lost Boys

As the Emerson family settles into their new life in Santa Carla, California, the murder capital of the world, Michael (Jason Patric) and his brother Sam Emerson (Corey Haim) find themselves navigating a complex web of relationships and mysterious events. Their mother Lucy (Dianne Wiest), having recently divorced her husband, relocates with her sons to live with their grandfather, a peculiar old man (Barnard Hughes) with a penchant for the unusual.

As they explore their new surroundings, the Emersons stumble upon a vibrant boardwalk where young people gather and socialize. It's here that they meet a charismatic group of teenagers, led by the enigmatic David (Kiefer Sutherland), who seem to embody the carefree spirit of adolescence. For Michael, this encounter marks the beginning of an unlikely friendship with Star (Jami Gertz), David's captivating girlfriend.

However, as the Emersons continue to settle into their new life, they also discover a darker side to Santa Carla. A local video store, run by the affable Max (Edward Herrmann), becomes a hub for Lucy and her sons to socialize. Meanwhile, Sam becomes enamored with the Frog Brothers' comic shop, where Edgar (Corey Feldman) and Alan (Jamison Newlander) regale him with tales of vampires and the supernatural.

As Michael's fascination with Star deepens, he finds himself drawn into David's orbit, where he's introduced to the remnants of an old hotel that collapsed during a devastating earthquake. It's here that Michael makes a fateful mistake, unknowingly drinking from a bottle containing David's blood. The consequences are swift and severe: Michael begins to exhibit strange side effects, including heightened sensitivity to sounds, a loss of reflection, and an unsettling ability to defy gravity.

As Sam becomes increasingly aware of his brother's transformation, he's forced to confront the possibility that Michael has become a vampire. Panic sets in as Sam realizes the true nature of their family's new reality, leading him to frantically call their mother for help. Michael, however, is able to calm his brother's fears, at least temporarily, and when Lucy arrives on the scene, Sam manages to convince her that it was just a comic book freak-out.

But as tensions simmer beneath the surface, Michael returns to David's hideout, where he confronts Star about the truth. She confesses that the bottle he drank from did indeed contain David's blood, leaving Michael to grapple with the weight of his new existence. The next day, Sam accompanies Lucy to Max's video store, only to be shaken when Max's dog Thorn attacks her. This harrowing experience serves as a stark reminder of the dangers that lurk in the shadows of Santa Carla, and the Emersons must now navigate these treacherous waters with caution and trepidation.

As the brothers' debate intensifies regarding Michael's fate, they insist that Sam must be the one to stake his brother and bring about a definitive end to his vampiric existence. However, Sam remains steadfast in his conviction that Michael can still be saved, despite being half-vampire, as long as the true mastermind behind the curse is brought to justice. The suspicion that Max, with his unnervingly sinister demeanor, might be the driving force behind Michael's affliction only serves to further fuel Sam's determination.

Lucy's dinner invitation, which Michael begrudgingly accepts in the presence of Max, offers a unique opportunity for Sam and the Frog Brothers to uncover any deceit. As they converge on the gathering, they employ a range of tactics to expose Max's true nature, but their efforts ultimately prove unsuccessful. Despite this setback, the brothers' instincts remain unperturbed, leading them to conclude that Max is not the one pulling the strings.

As Michael takes matters into his own hands and orchestrates an audacious rescue mission to free Star and Laddie Thompson, a young half-vampire boy, from David's clutches, Sam and the Frog Brothers join forces to take down their common enemy. Although the inexperienced Frog Brothers manage to eliminate one of their adversaries before retreating into the daylight, they ultimately find themselves outmatched and fleeing in disarray. David, meanwhile, remains undeterred, his eyes gleaming with malevolent intent as he declares, "Tonight."

As night falls, Sam, Michael, and the Frog Brothers prepare for a battle royale, stockpiling an arsenal of garlic-infused tub water, holy water-filled squirt guns, and wooden stakes. Their well-laid plans are put to the test when David and his cohorts arrive at their doorstep, seeking vengeance in full force. The brothers' quick thinking and resourcefulness prove crucial as they dispatch one foe with a judicious application of electricity, thereby saving the Frog Brothers from certain doom. A timely intervention by Sam and Michael's loyal dog also proves instrumental in thwarting an attack, as the canine sends a vampire tumbling into a tub filled with pungent garlic.

As the standoff between David and Michael reaches its climax, the latter delivers a decisive blow by impaling his adversary on a pair of antlers. However, this seeming victory is tempered by the realization that Michael's transformation remains incomplete, suggesting that David may not have been the true mastermind behind the curse after all.

As the evening unfolds, Lucy returns home with Max from their date, unwittingly unaware of the sinister duo lurking in the shadows. Michael and Star, fueled by malice, conceal themselves as they observe Max's approach to the lifeless David. The atmosphere is heavy with tension as Max appears visibly distraught over the death of his "children," a revelation that would soon shatter Lucy's world.

It emerges that Max, the unsuspecting protagonist, harbors a dark secret: he is the head vampire, responsible for the creation of David and his cohorts. His ultimate goal was to manipulate David into incorporating Michael and Sam into his "family" fold, thereby ensuring Lucy's consent to join him, knowing the truth about his true nature. Max craves Lucy's companionship to fill a void left by the demise of his own "sons," now departed.

As the stakes escalate, Max seizes hold of Sam, threatening that the young boy will meet a fatal end unless Lucy agrees to surrender to him. Just as the situation seems insurmountable, Lucy's father bursts into the house, armed with an arsenal of wooden stakes and a determination to vanquish the evil forces that threaten his family.

In a stunning turn of events, Max meets his demise at the hands of Lucy's father, effectively saving the day. As Lucy tends to her traumatized boys, her grandfather heads to the kitchen, pops open a root beer, and delivers a wry observation: "There's one thing about living in Santa Carla...I never could stomach - all the damn vampires." The scene fades into the backdrop of this eerie town, forever tainted by the presence of the undead.