THE SOUL EATER
After a string of child disappearances, two investigators work different angles of the growing small-town chaos. Both with deep unresolved trauma, the gruesome scenes and unanswered questions take Fantasia 2024 audiences on a ride to hell.
Directors Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo craft an intricate mystery that intertwines folklore and crime. Screenwriters Annelyse Batrel and Ludovic Lefebvre skillfully adapt the French novel by Alexis Laipsker, keeping audiences off-kilter and second-guessing.
Performances from our two leads are stellar. Virginie Ledoyen gives Elisabeth deep personal darkness stemming from unimaginable loss. Paul Hamy makes Franck down to earth in an indescribably tangible way. Their chemistry is a fantastic mix of caution, stubbornness, and authentic partnership. They make a genuinely solid on-screen team.
True crime and horror fans will immediately feel pulled into the narrative. The film reveals a shocking final 30 minutes, boasting one of the most unhinged fight scenes I’ve ever seen, and delivering multiple appalling twists! THE SOUL EATER reminds us that we never know what goes on behind closed doors and that fear is the scariest monster. It will devour you whole.
THE SOUL EATER
Horror / Thriller
111 minutes | 2024 | France | French w/ English subtitles
Fantasia Premiere: Wednesday July 24, 2024 @ 9:20 PM: Auditorium des diplômés de la SGWU (Théâtre Hall)
Directed by: Julien Maury, Alexandre Bustillo
Written by: Annelyse Batrel, Ludovic Lefebvre
Starring: Sandrine Bonnaire, Paul Hamy, Virginie Ledoyen
Cinematographer: Simon Roca
Editor: Baxter
Logline: When violent and gruesome deaths starts plaguing a small mountain village, an old legend about a malevolent creature resurfaces.
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