Nearly 20 years ago, horror was graced with the politically poignant New French Extremity movement. These politically charged films brought many incredible genre creators before the eyes of American audiences, who were also in a state of extreme anger and sadness. One of the most impressive groups of filmmakers to come out of this movement was the filmmaking duo of Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury. Their extreme horror film Inside shocked and awed audiences around the globe. Bustillo and Maury didn’t hold back with their intense home invasion directorial debut[s].
Like a phoenix, they’re back. And they’re better than ever.
Franck de Rolan (Paul Hamy) finds himself in a small mountain town as he looks into the mystery of disappearing children. On his way to town, he meets Commander Elizabeth Guardiano (Virginie Ledoyen), who is also on her way to investigate the brutal murder of a family. They soon realize they’re both investigating the same crimes. Local legend speaks of a creature called the Soul Eater, and it starts to look more and more like the Soul Eater has descended upon this town to wreak havoc.
From Franck’s very first interaction, The Soul Eater is shrouded in mystery and intrigue. Bustillo and Maury tell a tense and suspenseful crime story, from writers Annelyse Batrel and Ludovic Lefebvre (based on a story from Alexis Laipsker), that doesn’t let up until the credits roll. Fans of Inside might wonder how The Soul Eater stacks up gore-wise. Let’s just say, you’ll be sufficiently pleased. This film is nowhere near the gore level of Inside, but it’s still steeped in extreme blood and violence. The Soul Eater plays the gore card close to its chest and starts off [fairly] tame. Audiences will be lulled into a false sense of security by Simon Roca’s beautiful and serene cinematography; only for the rug to be eventually pulled out, making you slam your nose into a bloody, broken mess.
The Soul Eater weaves through subgenres and properly finds its footing every step of the way. It starts as a true crime thriller before quickly dipping into supernatural horror and then veering off course into a deep web/tech horror. Each act feels like a singular, terrifying entity and succeeds at naturally progressing its story. Even when the film’s twist comes, you don’t feel blindsided. Bustillo and Maury visually unfold the story in an incredibly realistic fashion and provide all the clues needed for the mid-finale twist to work.
Bustillo and Maury are back and ready to horrify and excite audiences with The Soul Eater. While it may lean on digital effects more than seems necessary, the practical effects and violence feel unabashedly authentic. The Soul Eater would be the perfect litmus test when introducing someone to extreme horror, as it has the extreme gore and violence of extreme horror but utilizes it sparingly and effectively. Fans of Bustillo and Maury will be incredibly pleased with the latest film from these fantastic French filmmakers.
