Dark Soul (Short Review)

 

Director - John Williams
Staring - Anthony Williams and Ian Rhodes

Release Date - 2013

Genre - Horror

Format - Streaming (YouTube)

Rating (out of 5):

      When I write reviews I often realize that one of my biggest complaints about a movie is it's running time. Most movies have short stories that should be told in a very short running time.  However, filmmakers refuse to make shorts and add pointless scenes and ridiculous dialogue as filler to extend the film's run time.  That is one of the many reasons I love shorts.  These films have extremely short running times and the filmmakers use every second of it to give the viewer something fun and fast paced.  That brings me to my next review for the short Dark Soul.  The director, John Williams, reached out to the Horror Society Facebook page and was kind enough to hit me up with a link and for that I thank you!

     The film follows a gentleman as he wonders through the land until he reaches his destination. He proceeds to pull a string that is tied to the river bank until a white burlap sack appears.  He then drags the sack back to an abandoned building where another man is waiting.  The two remove the contents of the bag and wait...until a ventriloquist dummy appears.  Moments later the two die.  We then move forward and we meet two more individuals and the dummy as they wait while two burlap sacks sit before them. 

     When I watch a short I normally expect the film to immediately start out amazing and never let up.  However, sometimes a film is able to be a short and is able to establish great atmosphere and suspense within a short period of time without the use of action.  That is what happened with Dark Soul.  John Williams is able to take a running time of about 5 minutes and is able to craft a very stylish short that is visually appealing and beautifully shot.  The acting in this one is very minimalistic.  The two main characters don't really do much interacting but it fits the film perfectly.  The story is very simple yet it is very effective once it has completely ran it's course.  Williams is able to utilize every second of the film to tell the story which is always a plus for the viewer.  Finally, the film does not offer any real special effects or on screen kills.  However, the film does offer a real sense of dread and eerie atmosphere.  Overall, Dark Soul is a fun thriller that offers some great cinematography and a solid story.  Check it out because you will not be disappointed.