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The Soul Eater
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The opening images set a brooding tone: a man on foot, gazing at dark, barely civilised mountains. He’s about to investigate a string of child disappearances, and will soon cross paths with a woman probing murders in the same, very secretive village. These intertwined cases keep turning up references to a horrific local legend, the supernatural “soul eater”. But isn’t this just a handy myth parents use to scare their kids? Co-directors Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo (Inside, 2007) have a knack for mixing diverse sub-genres within the horror, thriller and fantastique realms. Here, adapting a popular novel by TV celebrity Alexis Laipsker, they skilfully manipulate a classic hesitation between differing interpretations of the unfolding, gruesome events: psychosis or demonic possession? The situation gets even more complicated when references to drugs and Internet pornography surface … Shot in the Vosges part of Northeastern France – allowing an abandoned building, once a sanatorium, to play a major part – The Soul Eater plunges us into an oppressive atmosphere and explores all its implications. The casting is especially diverting: Paul Hamy, well known to cinephiles for his work with F.J. Ossang and João Pedro Rodrigues, shares the screen with Virginie Ledoyen and Sandrine Bonnaire. © Adrian Martin 8 December 2023 |
