Lost Boys is an odd ‘80s blend. It’s in the vein of other horror/comedies in the era (Gremlins, Monster Squad), only with a darker, more adult edge. Whether or not that actually works to create anything more than an average vampire is movie is debatable.
Complete with a large, now recognizable, cast, Lost Boys takes the small town creature feature and tries to do more with it. The problem here that it tries to do too much. There are far too many characters, wild shifts in tone, and a lacking in the film’s own vampire lore. The movie’s identity comes from the characters, and that’s fine. However, it’s obvious another 20 minutes or so is required to fully flesh out who the vampires are and why they chose Santa Clara as their base of operations (of all places). There’s also a small child vampire who has no reason to be there, nor is the audience given any explanation as to why the female love interest so intent on protecting him.
In Lost Boys, we’re given the typical “kids save the day plot,” all while mom doesn’t believe a word of it. We’re given the usual array of vampire elimination techniques, and they’re executed in grand style during the finale (“Death by stereo”). Any originality is in the direction by Joel Schumacher, especially a feeding session by the vampires late in the film. None of this gels though, and it’s as if you’re watching two different movies side-by-side, or two scripts mashed together to save money.
The constant shifts in tone are jarring and confusing. The final battle inside the house constantly baffles, characters disappear for extended periods with no explanation, and the character deaths are all supposed to be funny or serious (a more homogenous tone would help). The R-rated aspects almost feel tacked on and unnecessary (this coming from a gore fanatic). It’s worse when you’re dealing with child actors who are having a blast playing these characters for laughs, and Jason Patric is forced to play it straight right alongside them. It’s too jarring to be truly successful.
A few twists in the story are obvious and not particularly shocking. The laughs are there and are at times hilariously funny. The horror elements are fair with some unique visuals, but Lost Boys is too disjointed for its own good. The film has its fans for a reason, and that’s probably nostalgia. 
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