My Soul to Take (2010)★★★★☆

I may be biased towards anything Wes Craven, but I liked this movie. It wasn’t quite as haunting as A Nightmare on Elm Street, but it was a relatively original story with a decent cast (Frank Grillo is always awesome…and Max Thieriot delivers the quiet creeper like no one else), and Wes Craven’s direction and use of background music elevate it above the typical teen slasher flick.

Sure, the pacing is weird (and changes halfway through) and the dialogue is only partly believable, but Wes Craven yet again delivers terror just under the surface – the idea that one of your friends could be a murderer unbeknownst to you? The idea that…you could be a murderer unbeknownst to you?

I love the Haitian and Native American mythology dotted across the film. The concept of multiple personalities being “multiple souls” has made for a few interesting movies (I liked Shelter before it was 6 Souls), and the California Condor stories made for an interesting plot point and an incredibly creepy costume.

Bug’s slow descent into madness is well timed and believable, in part due to Thieriot’s totally on-point acting. He keeps you guessing about the murderer’s true identity until the end of the movie.

This isn’t a perfect film, but it’s entertaining and not littered with over the top effects. I was also happy to see that I’m not alone in liking this film. If you’re interested in reading something a bit more in depth about this one, check out Brian Collins’ review, In Defense of My Soul to Take.