This energetic low budget thriller delivers exactly what it promises and often more.
by Nav Qateel
Ex-military man Michael “Mike” Foster, along with his small team of former soldiers, are tasked with building a dam in a country finally seeing the end of civil war. With the region still dangerous thanks to rebels attacking anyone seen as a threat, the team faces hostility from several directions, including a serial killer, assassins, kidnappers, and a mole. Oh my!
Mike (played by Tom Fairfoot) and the team are headed for their camp when they come across reporter Amelia Turner, whose car has unfortunately broken down. They assist the stranded woman by escorting her to the camp, but they come under fire from rebels. This marks the beginning of Mike and Amelia’s relationship.
At the camp they meet the growling Major Thompson (played by Llewellyn Cordier) as he lays down his orders to Mike. Clearly the major isn’t a man to be trifled with, although his second-in-command may have other ideas. After an assassination attempt leaves Amelia (played by Aimee Botes) injured, the team rushes the reporter to the hospital, and this is where we meet the extremely dodgy Doctor Clark. From then on we’re treated to all manner of shenanigans, with the team forced to fight rebels, smugglers, and psychos while still finding time to construct a dam.
There are some wonderful characters in Lost Horizon, with the baddies taking center stage, like the aforementioned Doctor Clark, who is played to creepy perfection by Joseph Clarke. Then there’s the man pulling all the strings in the background, the ever-angry Carlos, performed by Alonso Grandio, who looks to be having a great time playing this unhinged character. All the performances are solid, and the camera work is pleasing to the eye. My only criticism is the ill-conceived escape plan near the close of the film, where Mike is rescuing Leia (Layla Osburn), but everything else hits its mark.
Lost Horizon is your classic low budget, high action affair, where director Patrick Garcia gets to demonstrate how it’s done by making it look easy thanks to plenty of experience with this sort of production. The story moves at a fair clip with zero padding and nonstop action from beginning to end, making the ninety-three minutes fly by. I had lots of fun watching this action flick, as will anyone looking for some honest entertainment.
Nav’s Score: 7.5/10
