The Lost Boys (French: Le Paradis) is a 2023 drama film written and directed by Zeno Graton in his feature debut. The film centres on a romance between Joe (Khalil Ben Gharbia) and William (Julien de Saint Jean), two teenagers incarcerated in a youth detention center.
The ensemble cast also includes Eye Haïdara, Jonathan Couzinié, Matéo Bastien, Samuel Di Napoli, Amine Hamidou, Nlandu Lubansu, Terry Ngoga, Audrey D'Hulstère, Laurence Oltuski, David Leclercq, Noémie Van Cauwelaert, Marc-Elie Piedagnel, Marc Gallo, Aurélien Vandenbeyvanghe, Samir Asghir and Giovanni Vanhaerens in supporting roles.
The film premiered at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival. It was later screened at TIFF Next Wave and the BFI London Film Festival. At the 13th Magritte Awards, The Lost Boys received six nominations, including Best Film. Best Director and Best Screenplay for Graton.
Critical reception
The Lost Boys has an approval rate of 100% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 15 reviews. Alice Saville from Time Out described it as "a powerfully physical romance shaded in dreamy, intense colours." Randy Myers from The Mercury News wrote that "the leads are exceptional, and Graton's direction and pacing never slackens."
Ben Turner, writing for The Pink Lens, called it both "dark, gritty and filled with hopelessness" and "a tragic and sad coming-of-age movie that turns the genre on its head."