My Soul to Take (2010)

I went to see this film with minimal expectations. I like Wes Craven but have found some of his films to be a little lame, also the trailer didn't really catch me with this one so I didn't really know what to expect.

Not only did this movie surprise me but it really just shocked me at how original it was. It was unlike any slasher film I have ever watched. Little things here and there really separate this from other bland slasher flicks.

It sucks that this movie gets so much hate, some people just don't like change I guess. People cry over how all horror films are the same yet when they gets something which is extremely cool and different like this they complain.

Not for everyone I guess but still one of my favorite Wes Craven films of all time. A blast to watch.

Fmovies: I had the opportunity to screen this film early, and as such I feel that it is my responsibility to warn those of you who are considering going out to view it this upcoming week. Initially I was excited upon hearing that Craven was releasing another horror film; being a fan of the genre I find myself often annoyed with the fact that there haven't been a large amount of extraordinary horror films in recent years. However, as I progressed further into the film, it became quickly apparent that this would not be an exception by any stretch of the imagination.

There are so many bad things about this movie that I can't even begin to describe them. The plot is horrible and transparent, the dialogue is egregiously pathetic, and none of the characters in the film are likable in any manner. My first reaction upon exiting the theater was that of disgust, and not just because of the terrible quality of the film itself, but more because of the fact that there is no way for me to go back in time to warn myself not to even consider viewing it. And coming from me this is really saying something because in most situations I can find at least one redeeming quality for a film in retrospect, or at least convince myself to not think it was a complete waste of my time. I couldn't think of anything here though.

When I first visited the IMDb page for this film the review that was displayed gave the film an 8 out of 10, as well as various snippets of praise. I'm not really sure how any person could feel this is a film that in any way warrants any amount of praise; the only logical conclusion I could reach is that they either: #1. Have simply never seen any other films before (or) #2. Work for the studio who created this film, and are simply trying to encourage others into spending their time and money on something which is an utter disaster and in no way reflects any of the creativity which has augmented Craven's previous films. My advice is that you save your money, or spend it on another selection.

This movie was very entertaining. Knowing Wes Craven was directing it, I was super excited. Luckily, the 3-D didn't ruin it. If you think the 3-D will ruin it it doesn't.

The movie starts out freaky, and then it gets very suspenseful. It will keep you till the edge of your seat till the end. Its a good movie and I recommend everyone to watch it. It's not one of those PG-13 scares, this is bloody. And, this movie is also a great Halloween treat, and I respect that it's going against Saw 3D and Paranormal activity 2. This movie isn't mainstream, but it definitely deserves to be. If you want some good scares and a thrill ride, definitely watch the movie! Don't wait until DVD because its worth it in 3-D and loud surround sound!

If you're expecting a VERY scary movie, don't come. Its a decent thriller with a couple of scares here and there. Its still a very fun movie

Total review count: 8/10

My Soul to Take fmovies. To fans of Western horror, the name Wes Craven is something of a legend. This is the guy who created one of the most iconic characters in horror- Freddy Krueger- in the "Nightmare in Elm Street" series. This is the guy who had the smarts to turn the genre on its head and give it a new breath of fresh air in the "Scream" trilogy, and come next year, quadrology. This is the guy whose horror movies- "The Hills Have Eyes", "The Last House on the Left" and of course the "Nightmare" series- are being remade by a new breed of filmmakers eager to be the next him.

Naturally then, the fact that "My Soul to Take" is Wes Craven's first film in five years (since 2005's "Red Eye") and first that the horror- meister has written and directed in fifteen years comes with certain expectations. Indeed, all the usual elements of a classic Wes Craven horror are present- a small town with hidden secrets from the past; a legend that is the stuff of campfire stories; and hipper-than-thou teen- speak- but unfortunately this is far from any classic. In fact, it probably qualifies as one of Wes Craven's career worst, if not the worst.

The opening in itself is baffling. A tightly condensed prologue is meant to set up the legend of the Riverton Ripper, a family man with multiple personality disorder including a particularly murderous one that has turned him into the town serial killer. He tries to kill his pregnant wife, the police rush in and shoot him a couple of times, he wakes rather miraculously to return the favour, the police fire some more, then the ambulance crashes on the way to the hospital and he disappears. Meanwhile on that very night, seven babies are born at the hospital.

The catch here is this- each one of his seven souls has taken over one of the babies, so one of them will eventually turn into a murderer. It's best you remember this, since the frenzied and convoluted manner Wes Craven tells the story makes it unnecessarily confusing. Fast-forward sixteen years later, when the Ripper has become the stuff of local legend, and a traditional prank played on one of them, Bug (Max Thierot), goes awry and apparently brings back the Ripper.

Unfolding entirely over the course of one day, Craven spends the first half of the film setting up his seven characters- the hot jock (Nick Lashaway), the sweet hottie (Paulina Olszynski), the religious chick (Zena Grey), the token Asian (Jeremy Chu), the African American blind boy (Denzel Whitaker), and Max's best friend Alex (John Magaro)- before the start of the blodletting. Sadly, none of the characters are any more than cinematic stereotypes, so whichever order they eventually meet their death doesn't really matter to the audience. The same goes for Craven's clumsy writing, his attempts at witty exchanges falling awfully flat.

By the time the Ripper comes calling, it's pretty much a case of 'too little too late'. Aside from not shying away from the gore, Craven botches any buildup to the climax by piling on the deaths too swiftly. Before any of the characters understand what is going on, they have already been off-ed or are in the process of getting off-ed. Even the extended climax done the Craven way (i.e. several characters trapped in the house with a killer in their midst a la "Scream") feels derivative and unconvincing.

The only consolation therefore is that by the end of the movie, you won't get a headache from watching the mo

It was a pretty interesting idea, but some core aspects about a horror film were done very poorly in this one, particularly pacing. it felt too fast and when you watch the film you'll see what I mean. There is minimal exposition (which is key to building character development and the characters are 1 dimensional. It was sufficiently gory and had a freaky villain but the twist at the end didn't really match the person of the killer. The film has some great atmosphere too used jumpscares quite a bit.

It could have been so much more but it would have had to fix all these issues, particularly pacing and characters

I love this movie. I can't understand why so many of the reviews are negative. I ended up wondering, what movie was everyone else watching?

People are saying it was confusing and hard to follow. It wasn't at all. It was a great mystery with several possibilities, which were all great fun to think about as the movie went on. When the end came up, all was made clear. You just have to have been using your brain through this movie to get it.

Then there are also those who say "it's a ripoff of Nightmare on Elm St", and I think, "um, what?" These are the sort of people who say that any movie with a killer animal of any kind is a ripoff of Jaws. Sure, in the endless world of horror certain themes can only be done so many times, but reviews like that are pretty much the same as saying that all horror movies are just copies of all other horror movies.

Perhaps one just has to have an interest in souls, mythologies, and pondering possibilities to enjoy this movie. I am a fan of horror all around, I've seen so many and such a range I couldn't begin to get into it. I've seen plenty of mindless slashers (including the enjoyable ones), and more than plenty of crap story lines I wish I hadn't. This was not one of those, and I liked it.

The acting was good, especially Max Thieriot as Bug. I thought the twists and turns with Bug were fascinating. They gave the option to question whether or not people around him were real, or in his head. Yes, they were real, but it was one of the interesting possibilities I considered.

Overall, the movie was very enjoyable.