LONG LOST (2018)
The death of a close relative and the revelation of relatives, wealthy relatives I might add, that the protagonist never knew existed. It’s been the jumping off point for many films. In Erik Bloomquist’s Long Lost it’s the death of his mother that leads to Seth (Adam Weppler, The Cobblestone Corridor) getting a letter from Richard (Nicholas Tucci, The Ranger, You’re Next) the millionaire half brother he never knew he had. He accepts the invitation to spend some time with him and his girlfriend Abby (Catherine Corcoran, Terrifier) so they can get to know each other.
However it quickly becomes obvious that there isn’t much Richard doesn’t know about Seth, (“I’ve been watching you your whole life”). And that’s just the start of the mind games and mindfuckery that’s about to come.
Long Lost isn’t really a horror film, more of a twisted thriller. The kind of film that makes you feel uneasy and downright uncomfortable, even when nothing outwardly bad is happening. And there’s a good reason for that, there are multiple layers of deceit here. The interactions between the characters are so off it’s obvious. Not off as in they’re badly written, but as in they’re not legitimate.
Despite his wealth and success Richard seems to have an anger towards Seth, and implies he knows secrets he doesn’t even know about himself. Abby one minute is hostile, the next ignores Seth completely. Then hits on him. All while supposedly being Richard’s loving girlfriend. Seth for his part is just confused as hell, and we’re right there with him.
Shot almost entirely inside a beautiful Connecticut mansion Long Lost has a feeling of claustrophobia, of being trapped, no matter how luxurious the trap may be. This just intensifies as things build toward an ending you won’t see coming. I’m not going to spoil it, just be ready to be shocked.
This is the first feature from Erik Bloomquist after several shorts and the New England Emmy Award-winning The Cobblestone Corridor limited series. Long Lost has already pulled in a pile of awards on its festival run, so it would seem he’s continuing his winning ways.
Long Lost begins a 30-city limited theatrical run on March 29th ahead of an Amazon-exclusive digital release on April 10 (National Siblings Day) with more platforms to follow. You can check for theatres near you on the film’s Facebook page.