One out of
five stars
College is starting, so for Sean and Cassie it’s time to part and to bid fond farewells to friends Matt and Annabel. For their last night together they attend a ‘rave’; the kind of event Americans can never seem to get right.
Sure enough, it’s goth music, goth clothes and very dodgy dancing. Even Camden on a Saturday night circa 1980 was never this bad. There’s even a credit for Hideous Dancer – but how could you spot him?
The departing friends, not really getting into the groove, have a tiff and leave early pursued by what looks like a carload of demon goths. A serious accident ensues, following which Cassie ends up on the operating table.
She recovers but doesn’t really know where she is. She thinks she’s being pursued by some lecherous goths, but is she? And now her friend Annabel (Eliza Dushku from ‘Buffy’) appears to be having a bi-sexual fling with Raven.
Totally confused, Cassie goes to see the college priest who responds by trying to cop a quick feel. So what is going on?
Not much unfortunately, Cassie the imperilled heroine is not nearly imperilled enough. There’s a couple of chases, a hint of rape, quite a bit of noise and that’s about it. This is a film with no clear sense of purpose.
There’s no feeling of menace or sleaze where there ought to be, and the ‘twist’ in the tale you can see coming a mile off. It looks like a corporate horror film in which any real nastiness has been exorcised to obtain that vital ‘15’ certificate.
You have to feel sorry for the cast all of who turn in solid performances that are wasted here - they might as well be reading the news such is the lack of tension. Soul Survivors is one misnomer of a title, for ‘soul’ is the one of the many things lacking in this sad excuse for a horror film.