This quote makes a whole lot of sense since It seems like all our characters are in purgatory. They are hopelessly lost or have committed heinous crimes, and they are now in a place where they cannot escape, and are stuck in an endless loop.
Wraith demons appear from the start of the film and look like they are after fresh souls, or waiting for death to occur. This is why they seem to appear spontaneously throughout the film when bad things are about to happen.
Southbound is an anthology that follows a different set of characters through five interlocking stories that are all linked to the main plot, and by the end, everything seems to come together nicely in one big circle.
I'll admit the film is pretty well done. It speeds through the stories quickly, it was intriguing and full of mystery and action, and so while you want to find out more about a previous tale, you don't the chance to stop, reflect and catch your breath.
I wish more films were done like this. There will always be pros and cons but the film did what it intended. It had a favourable story, it had gore, it had mystery, it did have some gritty and unsettling moments, and it fits in very nicely to the horror genre.
The only real negative I can say about this film is that it doesn't delve deep enough into character development. We don't know much backstory, and what has transpired in the past. And therefore your connection with the characters is not as strong as it could be.
However, something always seems to catch up with them. And even though there is a lot that we aren't aware of, most of it doesn't matter since you can get a good enough grasp on the situation, and can sense that in the end, the outcome will be unpleasant.
A quick note on the hospital scene which was one of the most brutal, visceral and disgusting scenes I think I have ever witnessed in a movie to date, it kept you a little frozen in shock, but was also, the edge of your seat cinema.
We get wraithlike skeletons, cults, murderers, a creepy abandoned hospital, some weird townsfolk, and some monster elements sprinkled into the five stories. The DJ was a nice touch and effortlessly blended into when a story had ended, and when the next one was about to begin.
This is one of those surprise horror movies that have a fulfilling story and a decent ending. I recommend this film if you are a horror fanatic, as I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
7/10.
