Rating of
2.5/4
Keep the Faith or Lose Your Soul
Chris Kavan - wrote on 06/12/13
Although the film takes a bits and pieces from various other films in the horror genre, 6 Souls is worth watching if simply for the performance of Jonathan Rhys Meyers - who essentially takes on different roles throughout the film. This is more a cerebral thriller rather than an outright horror film - and somewhat predictable - but overall it has a nice chilling effect.
We open with Dr. Cara Harding, who is dealing with the fact her medical opinion has sentenced a man to execution. As a woman of science, she goes to great lengths to disapprove so-called multiple personality disorders used in defense of murder. But she's not immune to the consequences, as she quickly downs a number of shots to deal with the fallout. The film places a lot of emphasis on faith vs. science - sometimes with a heavy hand - but it's a valid theme that has been used to good effect time and time again.
In this case her father (Jeffrey DeMunn - also a doctor) has a new case for her to take a look at. This is where Meyers come in - it seems he has two distinct personalities: David, a paraplegic who was raised in a religious home and is a pretty regular young man and Adam, a brash, opinionated (and color blind) man. Even though she is quite skeptical, she looks into it - and finds out that David is a young man who was murdered in 1982. Visiting his mother (a wonderful Frances Conroy) she learns that after his accident he was still devout until he visited a doctor who promised to give him his legs back, but was left a broken soul and soon after was murdered in what the headlines proclaimed was witchcraft or a satanic cult.
But as she investigates further, more personalities start to emerge - Wes - an underground rock musician who died of an apparent suicide - also shows up. But things just don't add up to her scientific explanation, no matter how hard she tries. Eventually David's mother points her to a secluded group who may have the answers she is seeking. However, when she learns the truth - it will have a devastating impact on her and her family.
Although not wholly original in its presentation, it's still holds a few decent twists. Yet the real revelation is Meyers, who manages to make each of his different personalities (including some who are alive earlier in the film) believable from his vocal intonation to his mannerisms. He is the shining star here and is worth the time to watch. It may not break the mold, but 6 Souls is a nice way to get some thrills.
