Dark Souls

The narrative unfolds around an abundance of oil, both literal and symbolic, as we follow the harrowing journey of Johanna, a young girl left for dead after a brutal attack. Caught in the throes of mystery and intrigue, her father, Morten, finds himself ensnared in a labyrinth of secrets that threaten to consume him.

Directors Mathieu Petuel and César Ducasse exhibit a deft hand in the genre, utilizing a deliberate pace to gradually intensify the tension. Unlike conventional American slashers, "Dark Souls" eschews gratuitous jump scares in favor of a more psychological approach, interspersed with moments of visceral horror.

While the thematic use of oil adds a layer of complexity, it's the grotesque body horror that truly leaves an indelible impression. With subtle nods to horror classics and standout performances, particularly from Morten Ruda, the film strikes a delicate balance between unease and macabre humor.

For an immersive cinematic experience, "Dark Souls" demands to be witnessed on the grand scale, where its evocative imagery can truly envelop and unsettle audiences, ensuring an unforgettable journey into the heart of darkness.

SPOILER: Mørke sjeler AKA Dark Souls is bit different compared to most horror films, which is a good thing in my book. It's always good to see people trying something new with the genre, the whole movie's about the struggle of a father who tries to take care of his daughter who became sick after she got attacked for unknown reasons. Her appearance slowly disintegrates as the film continues including heavy vomiting of a black liquid, and what's with these men in orange jumpsuits attacking women with a drill. It's all part of the mystery hahaha, it's a interesting film but there were some moments that i was thinking that i was watching a made for TV crime film (Which it isn't). I don't want to spoil too much but there were a few scenes (especialy the scene near the end in the hospital) which slightly reminded me of Fulci, which is always a good thing. If anyone would ask me how to describe the film i have to say, a horror/thriller with a bit of drama. Go have a look for it yourself if you're interested, anyway you won't get bored.

Dark Souls, a strange movie to review because it looks like a compilation of the best of horror so far. We have a killer, we have in fact a driller killer. That did ring a bell, The Driller Killer (1979). I can go on and on. There are so many references towards the classics that you forget to watch the flick itself.

The whole story itself is strange. There's not that much explained and towards the end it changes into something like, here we go again, The Crazies (1973). In between we see what happens with the people being attacked by the driller killer. The father tries to take care of his daughter who's being attacked. There's a lot of stuff (no pun intended) coming out of the mouth of the victims being transformed. And there's even an ode to the Italian classics by showing how a drill can enter a face or a body.

It never bored me although the acting wasn't always convincing but it's really the story that sucks you into Dark Souls. It will not be for everybody but if you are willing to see a strange story then this is for you.

Gore 2/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 3/5 Story 3/5 Coemdy 0/5

This is the definition of a real classic movie.

I just have goosebumps when ever I watch the movie, it's a piece of art.

Directors and writers Mathieu Petuel and César Ducasse obviously know their horror. There's a deliberate, unhurried pace from start to end and, as with so many other effective horror movies over the years, the pacing is used to build tension and to unsettle the viewer. This isn't your average American slasher, filled with jump cuts and loud bursts on the soundtrack in a vain attempt to summon up scares, everything here is designed more to pick at your nerves and unsettle, apart from the occasional head drilling, of course. The acting is generally fit for purpose, so while it won't win any awards, it does engage your sympathy in all the right ways, and Morten Ruda is the stand out, carrying more of the narrative as the movie progresses and allowing the mix of off-kilter laughs to blend perfectly with the feeling and the pain.

When I bought this movie from Amazon, it was because of the title "Zombie Driller Killer". And to make things even more interesting it also said "invasion of the flesh eating living dead" underneath the "Zombie Driller Killer" title. But the movie is Norwegian and it is titled "Mørke Sjeler", which means "Dark Souls".

Anyway, I sat down to watch the movie, and was frankly speaking more than a little disappointed. The "Zombie Driller Killer - Invasion of the Flesh Eating Living Dead" is nothing more than a cheap trick to lure in people looking for a zombie movie. This is nothing at all like a traditional zombie movie in any way possible. This movie is about some man in an orange jumpsuit that drills into women's brains and injects some liquid that initially kills the victim, but makes them come back from the dead. As zombies? Well, perhaps, but there is no flesh eating participating anywhere in the movie at all. False advertising on the cover in the worst degree.

Story-wise, then this Norwegian horror/thriller movie is fairly weak, especially compared to "Død Snø" ("Dead Snow"). The movie trots ahead t a fairly monotone pace, as we follow Johanna's father in his search for the one who turned his daughter into a brain-dead 'vegetable'. The story doesn't really offer any scares or surprises.

The movie is not all bad though, there are aspects of it that are great. There is a good continuous flow to the movie, as it trots on. And the dialogue is alright as well - just know that it is in Norwegian (if you don't enjoy foreign movies).

The acting in the movie was good as well, of course not really award-winning material, but people did good jobs with their given roles. And not having seen that many Norwegian movies or television, then it was good to have a whole bunch of fresh faces that weren't associated with previous roles and characters.

A warning to gore-hounds and zombie aficionados out there, this movie is by definition NOT a zombie movie, and you might up just as disappointed with this movie as I was.