Le Mangeur d'âmes

Le Mangeur D'Âmes (or The Soul Eater for the English title) is a French mystery/thriller of good quality, but not really a horror movie like it's also categorized on here. Sure there is a creepy mask but that's about it concerning horror. The most positive thing about The Soul Eater is that there is a good mysterious vibe to it, which keeps you guessing. It's entertaining and interesting to follow. A well written story. The acting was also more than decent, and that from the entire cast. The Soul Eater is certainly worth watching if you like this genre of movies. A good crime/mystery/thriller.

"Franck" (Paul Hamy) is hitching his way to a small French village when he is picked up by "Elisabeth" (Virginie Ledoyen). It turns out that she is a police officer send to lead an investigation of double murder and that he is a captain in the national gendarmerie on a continuing mission to track down missing children - a trail that led him to this ostensibly sleepy hamlet. Reminiscent a little of "Doctor Sleep" (2019), the place is overlooked by a sanatorium and quickly the two, initially suspicious of each other, start to realise that their mysterious cases might well be linked. What doesn't really help is a local folklore about the eponymous monster who feeds off the souls of the deceased townsfolk - and as the film gathers pace it seems to be heading for quite a brutal and bloody feast. There might be one really important clue. "Evan" (Cameron Bain) who is the survivor of the apparent self-killings of his parents. What did he see? What does he know? Anything? His psychiatrist "Marbas" (Sandrine Bonnaire) is determined that her charge be left to recuperate, but "Franck" knows he is the link... At times, this is a tensely directed murder mystery but as the plot develops it also rather thins out and neither of the lead characters really offer us much by way of chemistry as serendipity plays just a bit too much of an hand in a denouement that does have quite a fitting twist, but also has something too much of the "Scooby Do" about it. It does just about work in a cinema, the wooded landscapes and the eeriness help it out quite a lot, but on television it will be pretty ordinary.

Now this was a film that I believe I originally heard about hitting other film festivals. From what I saw, this played at Fantasia Fest. I got the chance to see this at the Nightmares Film Festival for its Midwest premiere. This was the opening film and not to play my hand too much, but if this is the tone they're setting, I'm here for it. Other than knowing the directors from their other works, I came into this one knowing just what I've shared here.

Synopsis: when violent and gruesome deaths plague a small mountain village, an old legend about a malevolent creature resurfaces.

We start this by seeing Franck de Rolan (Paul Hamy) running. Someone in a van pulls up and hands him a file. We just know that there's another one who has gone missing. We then see Franck get off a bus near a remote mountain village. He tries to catch a ride with Elizabeth Guardiano (Virginie Ledoyen), but she doesn't stop. She must soon after though. There is a logging truck that has blocked both lanes of the road. This allows Franck to catch up and we learn he's an inspector. She then gives him a ride to the next village.

What is funny here is that she is also a police officer. Elizabeth oversees the crime scene that Franck was on his way to. We meet other officers here who are from the town, including Brigadier-Chef Marcelin (Francis Renaud) and Fabrice Gonnet (Malik Zidi). What we learn is that there was a married couple, the Vasseurs (Jérémy Margallé and Audrey Golay). They have a son, Evan (Cameron Bain), but he's missing. Elizabeth looks around the house, finding the boy in the basement. Franck finds a van in the garage, which could match one seen at the scenes of other disappearances of children.

The death at this place was violent, but it seems that this couple did it to each other. It turns out that they both were aroused during it. This isn't the last violent death that happens. Franck is there trying to solve the case of the missing children in the area. Elizabeth wants to figure out what is happening with these murders. There is a local legend about a creature called The Soul Eater, which could be a connection. We also continue to hear about an airplane that crashed. There are secrets here that everyone is keeping that need to come to light to explain what is happening.

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is with something that was said before this started. A local podcast duo introduced this and they said that this makes you think one thing before showing the truth of what we're getting. I agree there and I love how this manages your expectations with it. There are elements that made me think of different things to make this work. I wouldn't say blatant rip-offs or anything like that. I can just see similar things there.

Now that I've set that up, let me start with what made this work for me. The first thing is the isolated location. We are in this small mountain village. Since it is difficult to get to quickly, there is that isolated feeling. Then to go along with that, everyone knows everyone and their business. It also creates divides where they are prejudiced against them due to what makes them different. An example here is the neighbor of the Vasseurs. She called them weird and that they kept to themselves. This woman also believed there was something wrong with Evan. Then something else to include here. We meet a doctor, Carole Marbas (Sandrine Bonnaire). She's trying to help Evan, but we learn later that not only does she work at the hospital, but also as the school doctor. People in the community wear different hats.

Then with that set up, let me discuss our two leads. The biggest thing here is that we learn both are flawed and have secrets in their past. That goes for everyone. What it adds here is that there are things in their past that haunt them and push their decisions. I don't want to spoil everything, but Elizabeth had a daughter. She killed herself due to bullying. This is revealed early on. We learn that because of it, she shouldn't be working cases with minors. Franck also has something in his past that he is hiding. I thought that both Ledoyen and Hamy do a great job bringing their characters to life as well as making them feel real.

For the last part of the story, this makes you wonder if there is a supernatural entity called the Soul Eater. We see it, but when we do and how it is shown, we don't know if this is in the imagination of Evan. That was a good touch there. Now the people in this village I believe are Catholic. Due to that isolation, there is this local legend of the monster. What I like is explaining why Evan and Jeanne Maublanc (Lya Oussadit-Lessert) believe in it. I'll say there, it is heartbreaking. Since I'm not spoiling, I'll say here that we might have a local cult, how the airplane factors in and the truth is terrifying as well as heartbreaking.

That should be enough for the story so over to the rest of the acting. Bonnaire is solid in her role. It isn't large, but it is important. She does seem like someone who wants to help the children. How she factors in later was good. Renaud, Zidi and the other local police officers are solid. What I like there is that they come off as bumbling. They're not used to dealing with what they are here so they're in over their heads. There could be more to it as well. Bain and Oussadit-Lessert were good as the two children who were orphaned during the events. The rest of the cast rounded this out for what was needed.

All that is left then is filmmaking. What I'll say here is that the establishing shots of the terrain were good. That sets up this as an isolated village. From there, I thought that they did solid things with building the mystery through the cinematography and the framing. It also helps with suspense. There are dark places explored, literal and figurative, so that adds to this. The effects that we got were great. I'm not shocked there, knowing the directors did the original Inside. We don't necessarily see them as they happen, but the aftereffects are brutal. Other than that, I thought the soundtrack fit what was needed.

In conclusion, I'm glad that I could take this off my list of films to check out. This has an interesting story and concept. It plays with their expectations which kept me guessing until the end. That is something that I appreciated. The acting was good to bring the characters to life. I also wanted to commend the depth of our characters, which adds an element for me. This is well made from the setting, effects, cinematography to the framing. This is one that I'd recommend checking out. It is one that I'm hoping I get the chance to revisit when making my end of year list.

My Rating: 8 out of 10.

OK there're clichés (the two cops who first do not get on well, but eventually team up when they realize that their affairs are tied ) and enough plot holes to fill the Albert Hall ....

But the excellent cast (Virgine Le Doyen , true to herself ,Paul Hamy, even Sandrine Bonnaire in a supporting part) the splendid (but sometimes maleficent ) landscapes and a threatening atmosphere make up for it ; this self-destructing attitude may remind you of an old American movie ("Impulse " 1984; the reason why they are agressive is more or less the same)

The story of the bogeyman is not new , used in so many films you can't count them all ("Hallowe'en "for instance );and one can wonder why on the rooms in the disused sanitarium the names are written in English (?) ;besides ,the part of Malik Zidi (who was an excellent Jacques Thibault in the "les Thibault " miniseries )should have been more developed ;his final intervention comes at the most awkward moment .

That said ,in spite of too many unlikelihoods , it's a gripping thriller, with enough unexpected twists to satisfy the audience and the final picture is a good idea ,keeping some of the mystery intact.

I do prefer a long-haired Le Doyen!

You can't watch this film and not think of the classic French crime thriller Crimson Rivers.

It has a lot of similarities to that film, only with more of a folk horror twist.

Not that it's nearly as good as it...more like a budget version.

It's got that vibe though.

Which is why I wanted to love this more than I actually did.

Because I was a huge fan of that film when I was younger.

Unfortnately, there's something about this that just doesn't do it for me.

Perhaps it's the acting (the duo here are no Reno & Cassels).

Perhaps it's the manufactured feel of the whole thing.

Or, perhaps it's the way the mystery is dumbed down "for the sake of the viewers".

Either way...it sits somewhere in the middle ground of being entertaining enough, and kind of lame, at the same time.

That's not to say it's overtly horrible.

Just that it could have, and should have, been better than it is.

It's major downfall, in my opinion, is that the ending is way too predictable.

And, even though they attempted to throw in a few twists, and a little ultraviolence, towards the end...it just wasn't enough to make the film good.

So I can't help but leave feeling a little disappointed by it all.

But I think it is enjoyable enough for most mainstream viewers to appreciate.

So there's that, at least.

But it wasn't for me.

4 out of 10.