Mørke sjeler

If Abel Ferrara's DRILLER KILLER and Larry Cohen's THE STUFF were dropped inside a Magimix and the resulting concoction seasoned with a dusting of tongue-in-cheek humour it'd likely end up looking something like Mathieu Peteul and Cesar Ducasse's DARK SOULS.

The film opens with a teenage girl named Johanna (Johanna Gustavsson) jogging alone through the woods. She barely has time to build up a sweat before a sinister figure dressed in orange overalls wrestles her to the ground and bores a hole into the side of her head with an electric drill. Later, moments after she returns home, her father Morten (Morten Ruda) receives a phone call from the police pronouncing her dead. His joking and laughing is soon turned to shock when she starts vomiting up thick black bile.

It turns out she is the first victim of a bizarre wave of attacks involving a mysterious black liquid which transforms otherwise healthy individuals into mindless, rotting zombies. As his daughter slowly loses control of her bodily functions and her skin begins to blacken and decay, a distraught Morten takes it upon himself to go track down those responsible.

Fans of Chris Morris' JAM will no doubt find plenty of laughs in the ludicrousness of Morten's situation as Johanna slowly becomes his pet zombie but the film is also at times a sensitive portrait of fatherly devotion. And when Morten is shown watching old Super 8 family films with his daughter's limp, rotten body propped beside him it's difficult to know whether to laugh or cry.

Lazy clichés such as the slasher movie's 'last woman standing' rule are subverted: our hero is not a nubile teenager but a bewildered, overweight father looking for the man who drilled his daughter, leaving her zombified. References to horror classics are skillful and witty, for example the homeless oil diver's expositional monologue which mirrors Quint's famous speech in JAWS. Winner of Best Horror at the Manhattan and Swansea film festivals, DARK SOULS brings slick thrills and oil spills without resorting to easy scares. 5 out of 5

Cambridge Film Festival Daily

SPOILER: Mørke sjeler AKA Dark Souls is bit different compared to most horror films, which is a good thing in my book. It's always good to see people trying something new with the genre, the whole movie's about the struggle of a father who tries to take care of his daughter who became sick after she got attacked for unknown reasons. Her appearance slowly disintegrates as the film continues including heavy vomiting of a black liquid, and what's with these men in orange jumpsuits attacking women with a drill. It's all part of the mystery hahaha, it's a interesting film but there were some moments that i was thinking that i was watching a made for TV crime film (Which it isn't). I don't want to spoil too much but there were a few scenes (especialy the scene near the end in the hospital) which slightly reminded me of Fulci, which is always a good thing. If anyone would ask me how to describe the film i have to say, a horror/thriller with a bit of drama. Go have a look for it yourself if you're interested, anyway you won't get bored.

This is the definition of a real classic movie.

I just have goosebumps when ever I watch the movie, it's a piece of art.

Directors and writers Mathieu Petuel and César Ducasse obviously know their horror. There's a deliberate, unhurried pace from start to end and, as with so many other effective horror movies over the years, the pacing is used to build tension and to unsettle the viewer. This isn't your average American slasher, filled with jump cuts and loud bursts on the soundtrack in a vain attempt to summon up scares, everything here is designed more to pick at your nerves and unsettle, apart from the occasional head drilling, of course. The acting is generally fit for purpose, so while it won't win any awards, it does engage your sympathy in all the right ways, and Morten Ruda is the stand out, carrying more of the narrative as the movie progresses and allowing the mix of off-kilter laughs to blend perfectly with the feeling and the pain.

Dark Souls, a strange movie to review because it looks like a compilation of the best of horror so far. We have a killer, we have in fact a driller killer. That did ring a bell, The Driller Killer (1979). I can go on and on. There are so many references towards the classics that you forget to watch the flick itself.

The whole story itself is strange. There's not that much explained and towards the end it changes into something like, here we go again, The Crazies (1973). In between we see what happens with the people being attacked by the driller killer. The father tries to take care of his daughter who's being attacked. There's a lot of stuff (no pun intended) coming out of the mouth of the victims being transformed. And there's even an ode to the Italian classics by showing how a drill can enter a face or a body.

It never bored me although the acting wasn't always convincing but it's really the story that sucks you into Dark Souls. It will not be for everybody but if you are willing to see a strange story then this is for you.

Gore 2/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 3/5 Story 3/5 Coemdy 0/5

The narrative unfolds around an abundance of oil, both literal and symbolic, as we follow the harrowing journey of Johanna, a young girl left for dead after a brutal attack. Caught in the throes of mystery and intrigue, her father, Morten, finds himself ensnared in a labyrinth of secrets that threaten to consume him.

Directors Mathieu Petuel and César Ducasse exhibit a deft hand in the genre, utilizing a deliberate pace to gradually intensify the tension. Unlike conventional American slashers, "Dark Souls" eschews gratuitous jump scares in favor of a more psychological approach, interspersed with moments of visceral horror.

While the thematic use of oil adds a layer of complexity, it's the grotesque body horror that truly leaves an indelible impression. With subtle nods to horror classics and standout performances, particularly from Morten Ruda, the film strikes a delicate balance between unease and macabre humor.

For an immersive cinematic experience, "Dark Souls" demands to be witnessed on the grand scale, where its evocative imagery can truly envelop and unsettle audiences, ensuring an unforgettable journey into the heart of darkness.