Lost Soulz

by Christie Robb

When aspiring rapper Sol (Suave Sidle) is discovered by a touring band at a house party in Austin, Texas, he drops everything and takes off with them that same night to pursue his dreams. But what has he left behind?

Written and directed by first-time feature director Katherine Propper, Lost Soulz is a slow, dreamy road trip where Donald R. Monroe’s camera lingers over the exquisite and the weird.

It invites us to explore creativity and connection. And how the wounds from our past create reverberating ripples in our lives, even as we strive toward beauty and hope.

In the hands of another director, this movie could easily have become melodrama, even trauma porn. But Propper is restrained, elegant in her approach. The performances of her cast (mostly with few IMDB credits behind them) are natural, subtle, and effective. Sol is by far the most complex and nuanced. His relationship with the younger sister of his best friend (Giovahnna Gabriel) is endearing and a shrewd move on Propper’s part. What a great way to soften an ambitious young man’s character than to give him a spunky girl to care for.  Or an animal. And there are animals, too.

The music is pretty alright. Kinda lo-fi. Mostly chill. It’s original and performed by the cast. But what’s even better than the results is seeing the band members improv together, adding different vocal elements over beats, changing the words, mixing it up, adding layers, bouncing ideas off each other. Making something and having a good time while doing it. It’s a joy to watch.