My Soul to Keep (4/5) – Movie Review

MY SOUL TO KEEP is a new horror movie that worked really well for me. It’s low-budget but extremely high production quality. At first, it might seem like more of a family horror movie, but just like the classic Disney movie, there is much more to it. Read our My Soul to Keep review here!

My Soul to Keep is a new horror movie that could be explained as Home Alone meets The Babadook. To me, this sounds like an awesome combination and I think the result is a really impressive movie.

It’s an indie movie which means a relatively low-budget but you won’t notice this when watching My Soul to Keep (or MSTK as it’s also called). The production quality is very high and the entertainment value is right up there with it.

Read more about this new horror movie in the rest of our My Soul to Keep review below.

So much more than “sweet” family horror

When My Soul to Keep first starts out, it might seem like a family horror movie. After all, a young boy (Eli) is the lead protagonist and it does seem more lighthearted at first. Then again, this has been working really well in the Netflix series Stranger Things and also in Stephen King’s IT. In other words, don’t be fooled by anyone calling this a kid horror movie.

Anybody who would say this, clearly hasn’t been paying attention to what’s really going on!

Just like when you rewatch classic Disney movies, there is so much more to the story. Often very dark and real problems that these kids are dealing with. 

Also, towards the end, the horror elements do become a lot more prevalent. While the beginning might be more innocent, it’s merely laying the groundwork for darker developments. A movie like The Babysitter (on Netflix, read our review here) might seem sweet and fun at first too, but it turns very crazy and bloody!

Look out for Parker Smerek

My Soul to Keep isn’t like The Babysitter since it doesn’t feature comedy (only very little anyway). Instead, it’s a lot darker while you try to figure out if this monster is actually real or if young Eli just has an overactive imagination.

However, if you watch till the very end of the credits, you’ll realize that just like we’ll be getting The Babysitter 2, My Soul to Keep might also have a sequel on the way.

Also, it does have one very big thing in common; An awesome cast!

With My Soul to Keep, you probably won’t be too familiar with the actors, but they all deliver very solid performances. Young Parker Smerek is truly awesome as Eli and you can’t help but feel for the kid. The same goes for his best friend, Sam, played by Remington Gielniak. Both kids deliver such stellar performances that you will be very engaged with this story!

Watch My Soul to Keep now!

The director and co-writer of My Soul to Keep is Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad. This is his third feature film and his previous movie was the fantasy horror thriller Jinn (2014). No, not the Netflix series – read our review of the Jinn Netflix series here – but a movie featuring the same demon.

The screenplay was written along with producer Justin Hynous. Since this is an indie production, Justin Hynous is also the editor – just as he was on Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad’s movie Jinn. I really hope these two will continue working together if this is the level, we can expect from the duo! 

I also really hope My Soul to Keep will reach a huge audience with its release. The movie has been winning awards at film festivals all over the United States and I can see why. If you just set your expectations accordingly and pay attention, you’ll see how much of a horror punch this small story packs.

You should especially be paying attention to what’s going on with Sam (Remington Gielniak) at home. This part of the movie creates more of a horror realism plot and not simply a “monster in the basement” story. 

My Soul to Keep is out on all major VOD platforms and select theaters in the US and Canada from October 4, 2019.

Details

Director: Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad
Writers: Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad, Justin Hynous
Cast: Parker Smerek, Remington Gielniak, Arielle Olkhovsky, Brandon Matthew Layne, Maria Wasikowski, Emmanuelle Turco

Plot

Like many 9-year-old boys, Eli Braverman believes something menacing lives in his basement. When his older sister leaves him home alone one night, Eli discovers if this evil is real or all in his head. What Eli confronts may end up being far more terrifying than even his worst nightmare.