While Kiefer Sutherland's iconic vampire David tends to take the limelight, Edward Herrman's Max who is the real villain of The Lost Boys - here's his plan in the movie explained. The Lost Boys is a 1987 horror-comedy about a family who moves to the secluded seaside town of Santa Carla. Eldest brother Michael (Jason Patric) soon falls in with a local biker gang led by David, who are soon revealed to be vampires. Michael enlists the help of his love interest Star, brother Sam and his friends the Frog brothers to take David down.
The Lost Boys was a big hit back in 1987 for its gleeful mix of horror and comedy, wild energy and cool soundtrack. Even now, The Lost Boys (which was almost like The Goonies) is held in high regard, and it felt like the tonal opposite to rival 1987 vampire movie Near Dark. It also made Kiefer Sutherland a star, with David being one of cinema's most charismatic vampires. While there were plans for David to return in either a prequel or sequel, the follow-up became mired in development hell. A belated, direct to DVD sequel arrived in 2008, with Corey Feldman's Edgar Frog being the only main character to return. A further sequel dubbed Lost Boys: The Thirst also landed in 2010.
Sutherland's David and his pack are the villains of The Lost Boys throughout the majority of the story, but they're not actually the main antagonist. That's Edward Herrman's Max, who in his human form is the somewhat dorky owner of Santa Carla's local video store. Edward Herrman's (who played Gilmore Girls' Richard) character romances Michael and Sam's mother Lucy (Dianne Wiest), and although Sam and the Frog brothers suspect he might be the head vampire, they later dismiss this idea as he's seen eating garlic and ing other tests. After David and the others are defeated in the finale, Edward Herrman's Lost Boys' character Max reveals he is indeed the head vampire.
Max had sired David and the other boys in the vampire pack, and the reason he ed Sam's vampire tests is that Michael had "invited" Max in, rendering the tests meaningless. Edward Herrman's Lost Boys' villain's ultimate plan was to form a family between his "boys" and Lucy's, as he felt the pack needed a mother. He had David initiate Michael into the gang, and felt that it was only a matter of time before Lucy would willingly . Michael's rejection of David - whose "death" secretly set up a sequel - and decision to fight back drove a stake into Max's master plan, however.
Edward Herrman's Max is soon defeated when Lucy's father rams his jeep into the cabin, and the vampire is staked by a post. While it's a twist some viewers may forget, that might be down to the fact The Lost Boys hides Max in plain sight. Edward Herrman's Lost Boys character is a loveable dweeb for most of the movie, and his calculating mask is only removed in the final scene.
