Desktop Entertainment
Available on DVD and VOD
Jack C. Young and D.W. Daring’s Souls Chapel has its heart in the right place. It draws from what they present as a real-life legend, with Young directing and Daring digging through urban legends to shape the story. I suspect just where the writer found inspiration is from the Lake Cumberland Tactical Innovations LLC website.
What is confirmed is that a chapel once stood there, and that the American Civil War fractured its congregation. Those are noted in historical records. Beyond that, the details which included who was the pastor fade into speculation. That isn’t necessarily a flaw. Folklore often fills gaps where history falls silent. When stories pass through enough voices, they shift and take on a life of their own, especially when tied to a burned site and that there’s a cemetary nearby.
When Daring said, “I wrote Souls Chapel to prove that the most terrifying stories don’t come from Hollywood, they come from real places, real history, and the things people are afraid to talk about,” it came with a wink.
Where the film struggles is in grounding itself in the Appalachian setting. There’s surprisingly little that captures the region’s distinct folklore. This is an area more widely associated with the Mothman than the many “women in white” legends, yet the film leans into a burned church and hints of an underground civilization. It’s an intriguing idea, but it never quite connects. Had the story drawn on the Nunnehi, the hidden people known for guiding rather than harming travellers, it might have added depth. Instead, that angle is left unexplored.
The plot follows Ray (Young), who meets a mysterious stranger offering gold in exchange for retrieving two totems. He accepts, only to be caught in a violent storm that leads him to the chapel. Inside, he encounters the lingering souls tied to it. This is where the film begins to lose momentum. The exposition piles on, and the pacing stalls. I found myself drifting, wishing for stronger movement or tension. When a low-budget film leans heavily on a single set, it needs sharper dialogue or more dynamic performances to carry the weight.
Those performances are uneven. The dialogue slips into hammy territory, and the cast feels very much like newcomers finding their footing. The production design tries to evoke something closer to Silent Hill, but never quite reaches that level. Instead, what’s offered feels more like a tale from the weird west that has moments of missed opportunities that could’ve been explored.
This state is famous for its ghost stories and urban myths. One such tale considers a spirit said to linger near where the 1862 Battle of Mill Springs took place. The Brown Lady is said to be a presence tied to the land itself. That idea could have reinforced Ray’s conflict with forces rooted in the area’s past, but it remains more of a passing thought than a narrative thread.
As for the Revenant, Rev. Popwell (Andrew Pierson, and yes, that spelling is intentional), his role is as mysterious as the mountains. He is this story’s version of Wentworth, and the parallels are there. Without some kind of creepypasta site laying it all out, though, it’s hard to tell who’s who… or what’s what.
Had the film leaned further into Indigenous lore, I’d feel more invested. The Cherokee presence in the region runs deep, and their traditions often focus on protection from what lurks beyond the visible. When Spearfinger is a witch who preys on the vulnerable this tribe fears, they’ll do anything to keep her from feeding on non-locals. When Ray discovers a dreamcatcher tied to that past, it hints at something more meaningful. It suggests a protective force beyond simple symbolism, but the film rushes through the idea. Important details slip by too quickly, and I’d need a second viewing to catch what I missed.
What ultimately holds Souls Chapel together is its premise. Despite some marketing suggesting a steampunk angle, what we get is closer to a displaced ghost story, unsure of how far it wants to push its horror. The scares feel restrained. A desiccated corpse and a brief burst of gore don’t land with much impact. Viewers familiar with the kind of tension Wes Craven built his reputation on may find more amusement than fear.
There’s also a broader omission. Kentucky’s folklore is steeped in stories of witches, yet that thread barely surfaces. If the film’s central figure can’t rival the legend of the Bell Witch, then something vital is missing. A sharper focus, or even a re-edit, might have brought that element forward and given the story more bite.
3 Stars out of 5
Souls Chapel Trailer
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