Soul Survivors
Encyclopedia
Soul Survivors is a 2001 psychological thriller film starring Melissa Sagemiller
as a college student named Cassie, whose boyfriend Sean (Casey Affleck
) died in a car accident that resulted from her driving after a night of partying. The accident starts to take its toll when she begins hallucinating and regularly having strange visions even though Cassie's friends Annabel (Eliza Dushku
) and Matt (Wes Bentley
) try helping her through everything.
Cassie and Sean, as well as ex-boyfriend Matt and good friend Annabel, decide to go for one last bash before they start at university. The four go to a club situated in an old church, where instead of one's hand being stamped, it is branded. While at the club, Cassie sees two strange figures: a man with a clear, plastic mask (Deathmask) and an imposing man with a scarred face (Hideous Dancer). Deathmask tries to grab her on the dance floor, and she pushes him away and steps outside the club with Sean.
In the parking lot, Matt eavesdrops on their conversation. Sean confesses his love for Cassie, who claims she feels the same way, but seems unable to say the words 'I love you' in return.
Sean returns to the club to find Annabel, and Matt convinces Cassie to give him a last 'goodbye' kiss. Sean sees this, and reacts badly to it, giving Cassie the silent treatment as they drive away. While he ignores her attempts to explain, Cassie, who is behind the wheel, continually looks away from the road. Eventually, the car crashes, and Cassie's next memory is of being rushed to the hospital. Matt and Annabel are unharmed, but Sean has been killed on impact.
During the school term that follows, Cassie has several visions of Sean, as though he isn't really dead. Matt is constantly in her company, and sometimes she mistakes him for Sean. Cassie also has numerous visions of Deathmask and Hideous Dancer, even to the point of seeing Matt and Annabel in their company. On several occasions, she believes she is being chased by the two men, although Annabel and Matt assure her that the incidents are all in her mind.
While Deathmask chases her through the campus, Cassie faints, and is rescued by Father Jude, a young priest (played by Luke Wilson
). Father Jude is sympathetic to her fears, and offers to listen if she ever needs someone to talk to.
In an effort to cheer her up, Matt signs Cassie up for a swimming competition. Annabel is constantly trying to get Cassie to leave her dorm room -- specifically, to go dancing at the club. In an aborted effort to drag her along, Annabel introduces Cassie to an androgynous creature named Raven, who seems to have some kind of precognitive powers. Raven claims that Cassie is in the 'wrong place', and that she belongs 'with Sean'.
A few nights later, after being chased again, Cassie knocks at the church door, and Father Jude gives her sanctuary. He gives her an amulet depicting St Jude, and encourages her to stay strong, then allows her to sleep in his small room in the church.
Upon awakening that morning, Cassie sees that the calendar in the room reads 1981. She enters the office of the attending priest and asks to speak to Father Jude. The attending priest says that Father Jude died in 1981.
After the swim competition, which Cassie wins, she is chased through the women's locker room and university pool by Deathmask. Defending herself with the tube of a florescent lamp, she ends up stabbing him in the stomach with it. They fall into the pool, and Cassie flees. She runs into Matt, who claims that there is no one in the pool; indeed, when the two return to the pool, there is no body in the water. Even though she believes that Matt and Annabel are conspiring against her with Deathmask and Hideous Dancer, Cassie requests that Matt take her home to her mother.
Matt instead drives Cassie to the club, saying that he wishes to pick up Annabel. Cassie follows him into the club, but gets lost, eventually finding Annabel and Raven in a bathroom. When Raven tells her to leave -- or die -- Cassie makes her way back to the parking lot. In the car with Matt, he drunkenly insists on another 'goodbye forever' kiss. Cassie hits him with a bottle and pushes him out of the car, then drives away.
In a scene much like the original car accident, Cassie wrecks the car. She again comes to in the hospital. On a gurney next to her is Raven, who speaks a few words of comfort before dying. Cassie also appears to die, and a priest arrives to perform the Last Rites. Father Jude arrives and takes Cassie's hand, asking if she would be willing to die in order to save Sean's life. Cassie says she would. He then asks her if she would be willing to live for him. Cassie says that she doesn't want to die.
After a nightmarish dream, in which Deathmask and Hideous Dancer strangle her with her St Jude medallion, Cassie awakens. The entire film has been a sort of coma-dream: in the original accident, Cassie and Sean survived, while Matt and Annabel were killed. The occupants of the other car -- Raven, Deathmask, and Hideous Dancer -- were also fatally injured. Cassie spent the course of the film in a half-dead, half-living state, wherein those who were killed in the accident attempted to keep her with them. Father Jude, and Cassie's visions of Sean, were what brought her back to life.
.
Melissa Sagemiller
Melissa Sagemiller is an American television and film actress.-Early life and education:Sagemiller was born in Washington, D.C. to a political activist mother and a professional American football player father, who played in the NFL for the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins. She attended...
as a college student named Cassie, whose boyfriend Sean (Casey Affleck
Casey Affleck
Caleb Casey McGuire Affleck-Boldt , better known as Casey Affleck, is an American actor and film director. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, he played supporting roles in mainstream hits like Good Will Hunting and Ocean's Eleven as well as in critically acclaimed independent films such as...
) died in a car accident that resulted from her driving after a night of partying. The accident starts to take its toll when she begins hallucinating and regularly having strange visions even though Cassie's friends Annabel (Eliza Dushku
Eliza Dushku
Eliza Patricia Dushku is an American actress known for her television roles, including recurring appearances as Faith on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff series Angel. She starred in two Fox series, Tru Calling and Dollhouse...
) and Matt (Wes Bentley
Wes Bentley
Wesley Cook "Wes" Bentley is an American film actor known for his role of Ricky Fitts in American Beauty.-Early life:Bentley was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas, the son of Cherie and David Bentley, who are United Methodist ministers....
) try helping her through everything.
Plot
The film begins with a young woman being attacked by Deathmask and Hideous Dancer, and her blood being drained. This appears to have no real bearing on the rest of the film.Cassie and Sean, as well as ex-boyfriend Matt and good friend Annabel, decide to go for one last bash before they start at university. The four go to a club situated in an old church, where instead of one's hand being stamped, it is branded. While at the club, Cassie sees two strange figures: a man with a clear, plastic mask (Deathmask) and an imposing man with a scarred face (Hideous Dancer). Deathmask tries to grab her on the dance floor, and she pushes him away and steps outside the club with Sean.
In the parking lot, Matt eavesdrops on their conversation. Sean confesses his love for Cassie, who claims she feels the same way, but seems unable to say the words 'I love you' in return.
Sean returns to the club to find Annabel, and Matt convinces Cassie to give him a last 'goodbye' kiss. Sean sees this, and reacts badly to it, giving Cassie the silent treatment as they drive away. While he ignores her attempts to explain, Cassie, who is behind the wheel, continually looks away from the road. Eventually, the car crashes, and Cassie's next memory is of being rushed to the hospital. Matt and Annabel are unharmed, but Sean has been killed on impact.
During the school term that follows, Cassie has several visions of Sean, as though he isn't really dead. Matt is constantly in her company, and sometimes she mistakes him for Sean. Cassie also has numerous visions of Deathmask and Hideous Dancer, even to the point of seeing Matt and Annabel in their company. On several occasions, she believes she is being chased by the two men, although Annabel and Matt assure her that the incidents are all in her mind.
While Deathmask chases her through the campus, Cassie faints, and is rescued by Father Jude, a young priest (played by Luke Wilson
Luke Wilson
Luke Cunningham Wilson is an American film actor known for his roles in Old School, Bottle Rocket, The Royal Tenenbaums, Legally Blonde, Idiocracy and Death at a Funeral.-Early life:...
). Father Jude is sympathetic to her fears, and offers to listen if she ever needs someone to talk to.
In an effort to cheer her up, Matt signs Cassie up for a swimming competition. Annabel is constantly trying to get Cassie to leave her dorm room -- specifically, to go dancing at the club. In an aborted effort to drag her along, Annabel introduces Cassie to an androgynous creature named Raven, who seems to have some kind of precognitive powers. Raven claims that Cassie is in the 'wrong place', and that she belongs 'with Sean'.
A few nights later, after being chased again, Cassie knocks at the church door, and Father Jude gives her sanctuary. He gives her an amulet depicting St Jude, and encourages her to stay strong, then allows her to sleep in his small room in the church.
Upon awakening that morning, Cassie sees that the calendar in the room reads 1981. She enters the office of the attending priest and asks to speak to Father Jude. The attending priest says that Father Jude died in 1981.
After the swim competition, which Cassie wins, she is chased through the women's locker room and university pool by Deathmask. Defending herself with the tube of a florescent lamp, she ends up stabbing him in the stomach with it. They fall into the pool, and Cassie flees. She runs into Matt, who claims that there is no one in the pool; indeed, when the two return to the pool, there is no body in the water. Even though she believes that Matt and Annabel are conspiring against her with Deathmask and Hideous Dancer, Cassie requests that Matt take her home to her mother.
Matt instead drives Cassie to the club, saying that he wishes to pick up Annabel. Cassie follows him into the club, but gets lost, eventually finding Annabel and Raven in a bathroom. When Raven tells her to leave -- or die -- Cassie makes her way back to the parking lot. In the car with Matt, he drunkenly insists on another 'goodbye forever' kiss. Cassie hits him with a bottle and pushes him out of the car, then drives away.
In a scene much like the original car accident, Cassie wrecks the car. She again comes to in the hospital. On a gurney next to her is Raven, who speaks a few words of comfort before dying. Cassie also appears to die, and a priest arrives to perform the Last Rites. Father Jude arrives and takes Cassie's hand, asking if she would be willing to die in order to save Sean's life. Cassie says she would. He then asks her if she would be willing to live for him. Cassie says that she doesn't want to die.
After a nightmarish dream, in which Deathmask and Hideous Dancer strangle her with her St Jude medallion, Cassie awakens. The entire film has been a sort of coma-dream: in the original accident, Cassie and Sean survived, while Matt and Annabel were killed. The occupants of the other car -- Raven, Deathmask, and Hideous Dancer -- were also fatally injured. Cassie spent the course of the film in a half-dead, half-living state, wherein those who were killed in the accident attempted to keep her with them. Father Jude, and Cassie's visions of Sean, were what brought her back to life.
Cast
- Melissa SagemillerMelissa SagemillerMelissa Sagemiller is an American television and film actress.-Early life and education:Sagemiller was born in Washington, D.C. to a political activist mother and a professional American football player father, who played in the NFL for the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins. She attended...
as Cassie - Casey AffleckCasey AffleckCaleb Casey McGuire Affleck-Boldt , better known as Casey Affleck, is an American actor and film director. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, he played supporting roles in mainstream hits like Good Will Hunting and Ocean's Eleven as well as in critically acclaimed independent films such as...
as Sean - Eliza DushkuEliza DushkuEliza Patricia Dushku is an American actress known for her television roles, including recurring appearances as Faith on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff series Angel. She starred in two Fox series, Tru Calling and Dollhouse...
as Annabel - Wes BentleyWes BentleyWesley Cook "Wes" Bentley is an American film actor known for his role of Ricky Fitts in American Beauty.-Early life:Bentley was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas, the son of Cherie and David Bentley, who are United Methodist ministers....
as Matt - Angela FeatherstoneAngela FeatherstoneAngela Eileen Featherstone is a Canadian actress. She is best known for playing Chloe, in Friends.Angela Featherstone was a model in the 1980's. She has been an actress since 1992 in films and television. While acting Featherstone created sitcoms she sold to Sony, DreamWorks and NBC television...
as Raven - Luke WilsonLuke WilsonLuke Cunningham Wilson is an American film actor known for his roles in Old School, Bottle Rocket, The Royal Tenenbaums, Legally Blonde, Idiocracy and Death at a Funeral.-Early life:...
as Father Jude - Allen HamiltonAllen HamiltonAllen Hamilton 1798-1864 was a founding father of Fort Wayne, Indiana.Allen Hamilton immigrated from Ireland in 1820, living in Lawrenceburg, Indiana just long enough to marry Emerine J. Holman. She was the daughter of Judge Jesse Holman, who was a founder of Franklin College and the Indiana...
as Dr. Haverston - Ken Moreno as Hideous Dancer
- Carl PaoliCarl PaoliCarl Paoli is an actor and stuntman. He has worked in front of and behind the camera for over 20 years in many capacities. Born and raised in Chicago, he started shooting on 8mm at age 15 and moved to 16mm after high school. He switched to DV as soon as it became available and then did the same...
as Deathmask
Filming
Filming took place in Chicago and surrounding suburbs. Some scenes were also filmed in Gary, Indiana.- Filming started May 1999 to September 1999
Released
September 7, 2001 December 13, 2001 January 11, 2002 May 10, 2002 20 September 2001 1 November 2001 8 February 2002 7 June 2002 14 June 2002 13 July 2002 (Tokyo) 9 August 2002 (video premiere) 22 August 2002 13 September 2002 11 October 2002 5 September 2003 28 October 2006 (TV premiere)Reception
Soul Survivors was panned by critics, with a 4 percent positive rating on review-aggregate site Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
.