Netflix film gets too lost in its labyrinth of misdirections
Few filmmakers are able to keep the audience engaged while carving out a compelling character study. ..
The Lost Patient is a director’s vision that suffers from its lack of clarity. The story is convoluted and the director tries to do too much with too little.
Thomas Grimaud wakes up in a hospital after his entire family is killed, except his sister Laura, who is missing. His therapist Anna works with him to make him remember the events of the night and those leading up to it. Thomas vividly recalls seeing a “monster”, or “the man in the black”, who murdered his family. As the recollections get more intense and intrusive, Thomas has trouble distinguishing between reality and imagination. With more information, he starts to suspect Anna and the doctors of engaging in an elaborate conspiracy to keep him from Laura.
The Lost Patient is a film that seamlessly blends the reality and the imagined reality. The former element is often missing, while the latter is mostly focused on making those transitions stylish and memorable. Here, Charrier does so with such subtlety that it only becomes apparent when you realize the central conceit at the end. Without those recollections, Thomas’ illusion and primary drive could not have been established. ..
Despite the critical nature of the flashbacks, the information they provide is too vast and ambiguous. They are not curated in a crisp manner that would have kept us more in the loop about what is actually going on. What it does, on the other hand, is make following the plot very hard. In an almost obtuse manner, Charrier prevents us from having easy access. In fact, there are certain points midway when you can’t really make heads and tails of the story.
The Lost Patient is a well-made thriller with some clever devices, but it leaves many questions unanswered and the plot feels like it’s been rushed. The film reminds me of South Korean movies like Remember (2022) and Lucy, and I think it would be unfair to Charrier and the film if comparisons were made. But there are definitely some things that can be learned from these great films for future projects. The unreliable narrator is a clever tool, but it should only be used sparingly and thoughtfully. ..
The film’s main problem is its lack of specificity. It does not have a clear plan of what it wants to achieve, and as a result, the film feels unfocused and unfulfilling. The actors playing Thomas and Laura put on a decent show, but they share little in common aside from their sibling bond. This makes for an interesting but ultimately forgettable story.
The Lost Patient is a gripping, fast-paced thriller that follows the story of a woman who is lost in the French countryside. The film has a typical French touch to it, with the narrative and characterization being full of soft touches and sly humor. The main aspect that I found most exciting about Laura was her role in the story - she was featured prominently and was very well-done in the role.
The Lost Patient is an okay story with a lot of potential but it falls short in the end. ..
In a recent case, a patient’s death was ruled as a homicide by the medical examiner. The patient had been reported missing after leaving his hospital room to go for a walk. It was later discovered that he had died from an overdose of opioids, which was likely caused by the patient’s neglect of his health.
