March 31, 2008— -- If you were trying to stage a Hollywood career comeback at the age of 21, you probably wouldn't choose to star in a dark, low-budget movie about the murder of John Lennon.

But then you're not Lindsay Lohan.

The movie, "Chapter 27," opened this weekend to dismal reviews and even worse box office numbers. And that's got some industry insiders scratching their heads about just where Lohan goes from here.

Bradley Jacobs, who reviewed "Chapter 27" for US Weekly and gave it just one and half stars out of four, said he thinks Lohan is not choosing the right roles.

"I thought her role in it was totally disposable," Jacobs said. "Maybe she thought it would be cool to be in this film, but she just continues to choose these dark off-beat movies and that's not her strength."

Nevertheless, Lohan announced just this week that she has signed on to another film where murder and mental illness are the central themes.

Lohan will play the part of Nancy Pitman, one of Charles Manson's followers in the upcoming movie "Manson Girls."

There's no getting around the fact that a role in "Manson Girls" is a long step down from the lead in "Mean Girls" -- one of Lohan's biggest box office successes to date.

Overall her 10 movies have grossed a collective $433 million dollars, according to Brandon Gray, President of Box Office Mojo, an online box office reporting service.

"Between the poor movie choices and getting herself into the news in unseemly ways, she has run her brand into the ground," Gray said.

"Getting into the news in unseemly ways" is a rather polite way of describing Lohan's behavior over the past few years.

Her multiple stints in rehab, arrests for suspected DUI and cocaine possession led to a reputation for being unreliable and worse yet for a film actress, insurance underwriters declared her uninsurable for a time.

For months, Lohan's "girls gone wild" actions provided the tabloids with plenty of material.

But that was then, and now, it seems, Lohan is trying to become one of Hollywood's newest comeback kids.

"For the last month or so, it has definitely seemed like she has laid the ground work for a comeback," Jacobs said. "She has seemed more serious. Whenever you see her out she is drinking water and behaving well."

Recently, Lohan was featured in a Marilyn Monroe-inspired nearly nude photo shoot for New York Magazine and in a high-profile fashion spread in the pages of Harper's Bazaar.

"You know I don't want to go out," Lohan told the magazine. "Is it worth it. It's not. Not right now. I need to work."

Lohan is following in the footsteps of several other Hollywood actors who have tried to put their mug shots behind them and go on to successful careers.

Think Robert Downey Jr., who didn't let a stint in jail in 1997 prevent him from going on to become a leading man in what could be this summer's blockbuster, "Iron Man." Drew Barrymore could also give Lohan some advice about making a comeback.

Barrymore had a long history of drug and alcohol problems, but by the time she turned 21 Barrymore was also well on her way to rebuilding a career with likeable roles in movies like "Scream" and "The Wedding Singer." And now those bad times are little more than a footnote in her career.

It may not be that easy for Lohan. The odds are against her – literally. Online betting site Wager Web.com lists Lohan as the actress most likely to be re-arrested for a DUI. She even trumps Britney Spears for that dubious honor.

And, some analysts argue, that all of that tabloid exposure may have hurt Lohan's career permanently.

"She used to be a relatable character -- an actress that young women really liked and wanted to be like -- but now the public has a different perception of her. The media frenzy and all of that over exposure does not help the equation," said Gray, who pointed out that all of Lohan's recent films have lost money.

So do poor choices and tabloid exposure equal a career cut short at 21?

Jacobs, for one, thinks not. He defends the tabloid exposure as ultimately a good thing for most actors.

"It's very important for them to be in US Weekly these days," Jacobs said. "It shows they are liked and highly thought of. Look at someone like Ashton Kutcher, no one ever writes about what a wonderful actor he is -- yet he is cast again and again because there's a lot of interest in him."

But the jury's still out on whether movie-going audiences will remember Lohan for her acting or her antics.