Available to stream on VOD
Original title: Le mangeur d’âmes
When cold evenings are keeping me home for most nights, I better hope that there’s no creature like The Soul Eater nipping at my toes. This film screened at Fantasia 2024, and although I didn’t get to see it then, I waited for its eventual theatrical run. This French alpine monster is most likely made up and the creators did a good job at making the folklore feel real, but as for who is kidnapping the children in the remote community of Roquenoir, only two constables are at it!
Elisabeth Guardiano (Virginie Ledoyen) heads there because the grisly death of a family–with only the kids surviving–is cause for concern. The local enforcement can’t do anything. And joining her is Franck De Rolan (Paul Hamy), who says he’s also on the case. I suspect he has a personal connection when, during the opening act, he’s seen running down a road and screaming!
They find a child who says the slaughter of his parents is because of the said beast. In the posters, this creature has huge pointy antlers, and I suspect it may well be some human in disguise rather than be an authentic boogeyman. He’s not even something that manifests in dreams, but is some physical entity! In what I know from folklore, Baba Yaga is the most famous child-eater, but she’s Slavic than French. Because of the ads, I considered the Wendigo, but I’m far off in that presumption.
Here, this film concerns the investigators not ready to let their guard down for anyone. Neither truly understands the other, and as for Rolan, there’s trouble tormenting him. There’s some enjoyable moments where they’re working together, and others where they have to go by their gut instincts. Even though they seem to come close to solving this crime in the bitter, snowy landscape, not everything looks connected!
Directors Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury are also not intending to make an all out supernatural story either. Instead, it’s a murder-mystery, with some light vibes leaning on what David Lynch’s Twin Peaks made famous. While it lacks the eccentricity, the tension comes in waves, and this tale’s success depends on believing the legend. That’s well done, and even the ending comes with bad guys getting their due in the best way possible. I just have to ask if the person(s) did the deed might become the new Reaper tho’, and that’s just chilling!
3½ Stars out of 5
The Soul Eater Trailer
Discover more from Otaku no Culture
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
