Soul Mates

"What if Jigsaw had a dating service?" It would look a lot like "Soul Mates". Two people are chained together and forced to go through a deadly maze as a twisted way to see if they are soul mates.

I can't tell if the writers have a cynical outlook on dating or are just having fun pushing the envelope (or maybe both?). The movie escalates with each scene, and does a good job raising the level of grotesqueness.

I expected low-budget schlock but was pleasantly surprised to find everyone doing a very serviceable job. Neal McDonough, playing the charmingly sadistic Matchmaker, is a joy to watch as he visibly loves hamming it up as this mustache-twirling sort of villain.

After about an hour of the movie, I had an idea where it was gonna go, and I would've liked to have seen that version. But I also really like the direction they went here too. It elevated it to something that might have made the movie forgettable and brought it up to something that has a little bit more weight. I could see if some people don't go for it though.

It's nowhere near the level of this year's "Sanctuary," which is also just a man and woman in a room for 90mins. That movie's a cat-and-mouse chess game of lying, manipulation, and blackmail with tons of intrigue. "Soul Mates" is less high-brow thriller and more straight-up gore and horror.

I liked this movie, and I'm glad I took the time to go see it. The high-concept minimalism delivers, and I was invested the whole time with all the twists and turns. If watching a minimal 90min darkly-fun horror movie sounds like something you'd enjoy, I recommend it. Overall, I give it a high B+.

You can't force two people to love each other. Or can you? That's the central question in "Soul Mates," the new horror romance movie from director Mark Gantt and writers Chris LaMont and Joe Russo. Allison (Annie Ilonzeh) awakens in a strange bedroom chained to a man she's never met before. Her first instinct is to grab a lamp from the beside table in order to incapacitate Jason (Charlie Weber), the man to whom she's chained and whom she accuses of kidnapping her.

Jason manages to convince Allison that he's just as innocent and surprised as she is. Together, the duo are put through a series of sadistic dating-themed "games" by a man calling himself The Matchmaker (Neal McDonough). He appears only on video screens throughout their ordeal, providing cryptic instructions and pithy witticisms along the way.

At first glance, "Soul Mates" appears to draw its primary inspiration from the "Saw" franchise. But it's significantly more than that. If you combined "Saw" with Stephen King's short story "Quitters, Inc.," you can get a much better idea of what makes this movie tick. Throughout, little hints are dropped that not everything the couple experiences is exactly as it seems. If you put these clues together as a viewer, you will most likely be able to predict the twist at the end. However, that predictability does not necessarily ruin the fun.

Although less graphic and hathotic than the "Saw" movies, the perilous game scenes in "Soul Mates" do provide tension and cringe by capturing and using the innocent loved ones of Allison and Jason as pawns to force the couple into The Matchmaker's dating contrivances.

There are a few issues with the movie that, had they been addressed, might have notched up the tension without giving away too much of the ending. Neither Allison nor Jason seem sufficiently traumatized or shocked by the torture and murders they witness along their journey through the Matchmaker's date night. Even some short scenes of one or both of them trying to cope with the experience might have made their suffering feel more realistic on screen.

We do get to see Jason ask, "Why doesn't he just go ahead and kill us?" Allison responds with encouragement to keep going. However, without a character-driven build-up to that moment, it doesn't ring true.

Overall, "Soul Mates" was an enjoyable watch. It did not shock as much as I thought it might. Occasionally, the chemistry between Ilonzeh and Weber feels forced. But maybe that's how it should feel. After all, their characters are two strangers being coerced into romance. What chemistry could their possibly be?

Truly not worth your time. The lead actors absolutely sabotaged the plot if this film. They were boring, weakly acted, and gave away the "twist" before I could even finish my popcorn. With the right actors and screenplay, this story should have worked.

The music they used in this film was agonizing, it was as if they found all royalty free instrumentals and used it in this film, which added to the cheese factor. This felt like a Hallmark decided to make their first horror thriller and it plays out exactly as you'd imagine. I kept watching the time on my phone, hoping the movie would end faster. I repeat do not waste your time.

From the opening moments, this is a film whose director knows what kind of movie he wants to make. I was engaged with the situation right from the get go. No over the top camera moves, just crisp angles that accentuate the overall production design and allows the actors the physical space to deliver compelling performances. Neal McD is CLASSIC. The pacing of the film, and the music and sound design also make the viewing experience enjoyable. Regarding the release, I believe this should have been a Valentine's Day horror film, as opposed to getting buried in a studio dominated fall. Bravo to director and cast. Can't wait to see his next film!

I watched Soul Mates (2023) in theaters this evening. The storyline follows two strangers who wake up handcuffed to each other and discover they are in a game to find true love. They must go through a series of dates, and the outcome will determine someone's fate they they know. Can the strangers work together, save lives, and maybe even fall in love in the process?

This movie is directed by Mark Gantt (A Deadly Price for Her Pretty Face) and stars Neal McDonough (Minority Report), Charles Weber (How to Get Away with Murder) and Annie Ilonzeh (Peppermint).

The storyline reminded me of a mix between Saw and Escape Room. This is one of those films where, when all the pieces come together, I liked it much more than I initially thought. The ending is the highlight of the movie and is quite rewarding. While the acting is somewhat uneven, Neal McDonough's performance stands out, even though Weber and Ilonzeh didn't quite reach his level. The circumstances and storyline are well-crafted, but the kills didn't meet my expectations.

In conclusion, Soul Mates has enough clever elements to make it worth a watch but falls short of being a true gem in the horror genre. I would rate this 5.5-6/10 and recommend seeing it once.