The Lost Boys & What Lonelines Does
Anyone who's been an outcast knows the very common fantasy of "another group of outcast who are so cool approch you to join them."
It's why found family is such a popular troupe, everyone wants to belong but not everyone finds it easy. The Lost Boys capture this perfectly.
Michael himself is set up as a classic lonely kid. He's the new kid in town with a brother who's a lot younger than he is. He sees a pretty girl and tries to get to know her, latching on the second she starts to show interest, and then he meets David.
David as a character has this allure too him that even when watching, knowing he was clearly a dangerous person, I could understand why Michael desperately wants his approval. He's cool. He has a pack of friends. He does reckless stuff and people stay away. But most importantly he *wants* Michael to join them. He and the other boys aren't just letting Michael hang around, they're calling his name and encouraging him to be apart of the group.
For Michael, a place to belong is a trap too sweet to resist. And he only really breaks away when Star confesses she was supposed to kill him.
For any writer looking for a motive for their young slasher, I would suggesting keeping loneliness and the desire to belong in mind.
Start slow, and let the lengths your character is willing to go for approval to grow. It makes for a super relatable motive and it made The Lost Boys a really great movie.
