Soul Mates

Truly not worth your time. The lead actors absolutely sabotaged the plot if this film. They were boring, weakly acted, and gave away the "twist" before I could even finish my popcorn. With the right actors and screenplay, this story should have worked.

The music they used in this film was agonizing, it was as if they found all royalty free instrumentals and used it in this film, which added to the cheese factor. This felt like a Hallmark decided to make their first horror thriller and it plays out exactly as you'd imagine. I kept watching the time on my phone, hoping the movie would end faster. I repeat do not waste your time.

"What if Jigsaw had a dating service?" It would look a lot like "Soul Mates". Two people are chained together and forced to go through a deadly maze as a twisted way to see if they are soul mates.

I can't tell if the writers have a cynical outlook on dating or are just having fun pushing the envelope (or maybe both?). The movie escalates with each scene, and does a good job raising the level of grotesqueness.

I expected low-budget schlock but was pleasantly surprised to find everyone doing a very serviceable job. Neal McDonough, playing the charmingly sadistic Matchmaker, is a joy to watch as he visibly loves hamming it up as this mustache-twirling sort of villain.

After about an hour of the movie, I had an idea where it was gonna go, and I would've liked to have seen that version. But I also really like the direction they went here too. It elevated it to something that might have made the movie forgettable and brought it up to something that has a little bit more weight. I could see if some people don't go for it though.

It's nowhere near the level of this year's "Sanctuary," which is also just a man and woman in a room for 90mins. That movie's a cat-and-mouse chess game of lying, manipulation, and blackmail with tons of intrigue. "Soul Mates" is less high-brow thriller and more straight-up gore and horror.

I liked this movie, and I'm glad I took the time to go see it. The high-concept minimalism delivers, and I was invested the whole time with all the twists and turns. If watching a minimal 90min darkly-fun horror movie sounds like something you'd enjoy, I recommend it. Overall, I give it a high B+.

I watched Soul Mates (2023) in theaters this evening. The storyline follows two strangers who wake up handcuffed to each other and discover they are in a game to find true love. They must go through a series of dates, and the outcome will determine someone's fate they they know. Can the strangers work together, save lives, and maybe even fall in love in the process?

This movie is directed by Mark Gantt (A Deadly Price for Her Pretty Face) and stars Neal McDonough (Minority Report), Charles Weber (How to Get Away with Murder) and Annie Ilonzeh (Peppermint).

The storyline reminded me of a mix between Saw and Escape Room. This is one of those films where, when all the pieces come together, I liked it much more than I initially thought. The ending is the highlight of the movie and is quite rewarding. While the acting is somewhat uneven, Neal McDonough's performance stands out, even though Weber and Ilonzeh didn't quite reach his level. The circumstances and storyline are well-crafted, but the kills didn't meet my expectations.

In conclusion, Soul Mates has enough clever elements to make it worth a watch but falls short of being a true gem in the horror genre. I would rate this 5.5-6/10 and recommend seeing it once.

From the opening moments, this is a film whose director knows what kind of movie he wants to make. I was engaged with the situation right from the get go. No over the top camera moves, just crisp angles that accentuate the overall production design and allows the actors the physical space to deliver compelling performances. Neal McD is CLASSIC. The pacing of the film, and the music and sound design also make the viewing experience enjoyable. Regarding the release, I believe this should have been a Valentine's Day horror film, as opposed to getting buried in a studio dominated fall. Bravo to director and cast. Can't wait to see his next film!

I read a few reviews comparing this to SAW or other horrors. I don't think this is anything like those. The concept is quite creative so watch it without preconception then I can assure you that you'd be surprised. I've seen many movies similar to this with people trapped and having to find a way out but this is the most interesting yet. There's genuine suspense and I care about the characters. It didn't rely on jump scares even if it isn't really for the faint hearted.

I highly recommend it if you have 1.5hour and looking for something not a copy cat of other horror movies. It was definitely better than my expectation.