soul (2019)

original title: roh

A BONE-CHILLING RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE

When done right, atmospheric horror films can be an absolute blast to watch. Their mere setting has the power to construct pure tension and terror, creating one hell of a terrifying atmosphere. Some have absolutely nailed it (The Witch), while others have failed (Fear Street 1666). Soul, Malaysia’s entry for the best foreign film at the 2020 Oscars, sits somewhere in the middle.

Set in the past, with the exact time and place unspecified, the film follows an isolated family who live in a bamboo hut in the depths of the Malaysian jungle. The family is very cautious, with the mother (Farah Ahmad) being over-protective of both her daughter Along (Mhia Farhana) and son Angah (Harith Haziq) to the point where any visitors are greeted with much animosity.

One day, the family let their guard down as they decide to take in a lost little girl (Putri Syahadah Nurqaseh). The family treats the little girl as one of their own, they clothe, clean, and feed her while giving her a place to stay. While at the house, the little girl keeps to herself and remains silent until the next morning where she tells the family that they will all die by the next full moon, before killing herself right in front of their very eyes.  Things only get stranger from here. The family starts experiencing some frightening supernatural misfortunes, while two other strangers enter their lives, a calm shaman healer (Junainah M. Lojong) and a mysterious spear-wielding hunter who is looking for his missing daughter. What follows is a series of mysterious blood-curdling moments that will have you questioning everything and everyone.

Not a bad effort from debut director Emir Ezwan, especially since this was shot in two weeks on a shoestring budget. There are a lot of elements that work here that slightly weigh out the ones that don’t. It’s an incredibly beautiful film to look at with its spectacular wide shots of the vast open jungle. These shots play into the film’s patient pace which can feel like a bit of a slog at times, but for the most part, it works well. As I mentioned in the intro, atmospheric horror can be such a joy to watch and while they do a fairly good job of it here, I feel as though they haven’t used the setting to its full potential.  

The performances are all quite solid with everyone putting on a convincing display. This is actually a little unfortunate as their characters feel a little bland with hardly any depth which prevents us from making a strong connection with them. This obviously comes down to the writing, which in my opinion, is the weakest part of the film and it really shows with the ending which feels rushed and unsatisfying compared to the rest of the story. There’s a lot like about this little Malaysian horror film, from the perfectly eerie cinematography to the foreboding score, and the chilling visuals to the great performances. However, I can’t help thinking they missed a trick here and didn’t use all these amazing ingredients to their full potential. A good film that could have been great.

★★★☆☆

23 AUGUST 2021