The Lost Boys: How Many Movies Are There & Which One Is The Worst?

It's easy to watch a film from the 1980s today and have it feel dated. While "The Lost Boys" definitely wears its era on its sleeve, it doesn't feel out of place. It's an intriguing time capsule that's gone on to become a cult classic, combining horror and comedic elements with some fantastic creature designs to make it one of the best vampire movies ever made. 

However, even ardent "Lost Boys" fans may not have realized the story didn't end with that one movie. Two comic book series emerged since the film came out, and it spawned two cinematic sequels — "Lost Boys: The Tribe" and "Lost Boys: The Thirst." They both went straight to DVD, with "The Tribe" first coming out in 2008, failing to capitalize on the immediate success of its predecessor. But while "The Tribe" did well enough financially to warrant a follow-up, neither film was received particularly well by critics, despite original star and '80s staple Corey Feldman returning for both of them to play Edgar Frog.

The original "Lost Boys" functions perfectly well on its own as a complete story, with enough style from director Joel Schumacher to make for an entertaining affair. But when it comes to comparing the two sequels, it's really a race to the bottom with no definitive winner (or loser?)

"The Lost Boys" may have some flaws, but it's ultimately an enjoyable watch with horror and visual style to spare. The original film currently sits at a solid 76% positive rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, which is certainly nothing to sneeze at. Unfortunately, the same can't be said of its sequels.

"Lost Boys: The Tribe" has a 0% rating from seven critics' reviews on the platform. The consensus seems to be it's a cheap cash grab to capitalize on the original film's popularity, with Brad Miska of Bloody Disgusting not mincing words, "Worst of all is that LOST BOYS: THE TRIBE feels cheap. It was understood that this was a low budget direct-to-DVD/Blu-ray when production started, but seriously, this film looks like crap." "Lost Boys: The Thirst" doesn't fare much better. It also has a 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes from exactly seven critics; however, it might just be a teensy bit better than its immediate predecessor. Germain Lussier of Collider had plenty of criticisms but found something nice to say at the end, "It's passable, watchable action packed schlock that will keep true fans of the series smiling."

Anyone who's a die-hard "Lost Boys" fan may be morbidly curious to check out the two sequels. There may be something to enjoy in both if you're really into the genre, but it's good to know what to expect going in.