Movie Review: Souls Chapel

Souls Chapel Movie Review by Matt Boiselle

Souls Chapel – directed by Jake C. Young, written by David Daring and starring Andre Peirson, Niko El Santo Zavero and Brian Bremer

Synopsis: A drifter decides to takes a shortcut through a small Kentucky town and is caught up in a snowstorm, his refuge is in a church called Souls Chapel – what awaits him there is anything but close to God.

With a powerful concoction that contains ingredients such as avarice and desolation mixed with a potent dosage of the occult, director Jake C. Young’s “Souls Chapel” is one of those presentations that doesn’t break the speed limit with its pacing, but delivers some moderately creepy moments that should satisfy the casual horror fan looking for some chills on a cold eve. The film’s premise is a fairly easy setup: Young (pulling double-duty) stars as Jake, a drifter making his way through Kentucky on a hunt for some treasured gold, and along the way he gets sidetracked by a hellacious snowstorm, impeding his path. He then holes up in a small, seemingly unfrequented church where he’s met by a small group consisting of a priest, a nun and a treasure hunter (sounds like the set up to a great joke). Things go from tense to disastrous when a botched assassination occurs, and Ray is left with questions thrown at him about why he is there and what is it that he’s trying to possess.

With a showing that relies heavily on dialogue, there are a few instances to break up the monotony of just watching people talk at one another, and while the devil certainly is in the details, there’s just not a whole lot of “oomph” to push this horse-drawn cart over that steep hill. Visually, the movie looks fantastic with it’s snow covered vistas and gloomier-than-gloomy dark tones, clearly setting up the evil that surrounds the tiny church – it throws a very heavy shroud over the film, and for all intents and purposes it really is a great piece of framework…now about what’s crammed inside the frame is the downer, unfortunately. The transition of dialogue between the characters also is sufficient, but overwrought at times and can give off the feel of standing in place while the action is happening around the individuals themselves.

Overall, “Souls Chapel” isn’t necessarily a boring film, instead one that had a goal clearly in mind along with a definitive finish line, but got its boots entrenched in a sizeable snowdrift – worth a one-timer at best.

The film is currently available on DVD and VOD streaming services.