It's a funny thing to write, but when it's all said and done, "The Lost Within" is actually an origin story at heart. From the random blurb of a conversation early in the film... to a full fledged reality by the end, the final scene really did leave me smiling. This movie made me wonder if writer-director Steve Gibson sat down one day, and wondered about the origin of something in his life. Then, like any other writer, he simply fleshed out a story making it the most unlikely journey possible, to reach that specific thing. The set-up is all here. Jon, played nicely by David Gries, is a curious reporter who aspires to be a full fledged writer. Through his interviews with reclusive, often mentally unstable people, he comes to meet Adelaide living under an assumed name just as we would expect. Don't get me wrong reader. I'm not mocking this film in any way. The events leading up to the "origin story" type reveal are all done quite well. The seeds of the story are planted early, in believable ways. Just don't expect the originality of the events leading you there to be earth shattering. However, what is original now days? Pretty much every story out there is an offshoot of another. So it actually does come down to presentation and in this case, the presentation is admittedly done well. I'll also admit I figured the twist, involving Jami Tennille's character's true nature, was the end of the story... the big plot turnaround. I was wrong, and shown to be wrong with an excellent final scene put to camera. The journey to that final scene, although not perfect, was interesting enough to keep me wondering; the stepping stones to that final ledge filled with nicely placed information and characters. The short trip into the lives of the Amish, who were not really Amish, was a nice way to add some cool elements, without having to fully research the actual religion or dialect. When it's all over, "The Lost Within" ends up being a smartly written film that plays out just as you'd expect. With the addition of a very cool ending. On the technical front, for the most part we have a very nice looking production. Clear picture, nicely colored and featuring a well mixed audio track to boot. Where the movie lost me a little was the overall length. This felt like a really long movie, and in parts, needlessly long winded. As a viewer, I found a few scenes a little long or not needed at all. A fifteen or twenty minute cut to the edit would elevate this film on so many levels. The dynamic and pacing would remain upbeat, and the fat would be gone leaving only the essential scenes; allowing the natural pacing to shine through. Keep them interested and leave 'em wired. Advice to live by when making a film. The other thing that kept nagging at me was the frequent use of "fade to black" transitions. They're everywhere! Although they are used correctly, showing the passage of time, there are just so many. This is a mistake I usually attribute to brand new filmmakers but in this case, considering everything else looks so nice, I'm not sure that's the case. Maybe a creative thing? In the end it doesn't really matter; they stuck out like a sore thumb and I kept having thoughts such as: Why couldn't it have just been a straight cut? Reading this, you may wonder why that bothers me so much? I'll tell you: When you're brought out of a world someone has tried so hard to create, by a poorly timed transition, the work of the director just went out the window. Other than the above, I should point out the the acting was surprisingly well done for an indie film. Especially when Adelaide's character enters into things. The two leads bounce off each other in a great way, making up for any slightly comical overacting that may appear here and there. Well done all around, a nicely cast film. Yes. I did enjoy the time spent watching "The Lost Within" for many different reasons. The well written story, good acting and final reveal, making me realize I was wrong about the purpose of the film the whole time. One could argue that this interesting ending "wasn't" the point of the movie, and they'd be right also. For me, the ending was just such a good wrap-up it will stick with me for quite a while. Aside from that, there is another story at play, and although not as original as the ending, it's a good one. "The Lost Within" is easily above average in every way, and an excellent production for indie producers to cheer for and about. This film represents time well spent in the "independent" world of film. And it was. -MC