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"SOUL SURVIVORS" (2001) (Melissa Sagemiller, Wes Bentley) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Heavy Heavy Heavy Heavy Minor Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild Mild Extreme None Moderate Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy Mild Minor Moderate Heavy QUICK TAKE: Horror: Having survived a devastating highway accident that killed her boyfriend, a college student begins to question her sanity after experiencing repeated visions of him as well as others who are apparently intent on harming her. PLOT: Cassie (MELISSA SAGEMILLER) is a high school graduate who's now headed off to Middleton College with her best friend, Annabel (ELIZA DUSHKU). Accompanying them on the drive is Sean (CASEY AFFLECK), Cassie's boyfriend, and Matt (WES BENTLEY), Annabel's boyfriend who just so happens to be Cassie's ex. After arriving at the college, the four decide to attend a wild dance party off campus, where Cassie has an unsettling run-in with an odd, masked fellow. That doesn't prevent her, however, from eventually making out with Matt who asked for just one last good-bye kiss before heading back to Harvard. Sean is understandably jealous upon catching them in the act, and on the way back to Middleton at night and in the rain, they end up getting in a bad accident where he's killed. Several weeks later, Cassie is still trying to cope with that loss, with Annabel and Mat -- who's decided to stay at Middleton -- doing what they can to help her through this trying time. That soon becomes harder to do as Cassie begins having odd visions, not only of Sean as if he's alive, but also of the masked man and an accomplice who seem determined to harm her. As she finds Annabel's new androgynous friend, Raven (ANGELA FEATHERSTONE), somewhat creepy, and confides in a local, compassionate priest, Father Jude (LUKE WILSON), who tries to help her, Cassie tries to figure out what's going on and begins to question her sanity when the visions increase in number and intensity. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of someone in the cast or psychological horror films, they might, but this one seems most attractive to mid to older teens. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For terror/violence, sexuality and some substance abuse. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: Revelations that occur later in the film explain some of the behavior that's listed here. MELISSA SAGEMILLER plays the college freshman traumatized by her boyfriend's sudden death and finds herself questioning her sanity after repeated visions of him and close calls with dangerous people. She uses some profanity, briefly makes out with an old boyfriend (Matt) before Sean's death and apparently unknowingly sleeps with him after it (thinking she was having a dream doing the same with Sean). CASEY AFFLECK plays Cassie's boyfriend who's killed in the crash after being upset catching her making out with her former boyfriend. He uses some profanity WES BENTLEY plays Cassie's former boyfriend who tries to rekindle their romance after Sean's death. He drinks in various scenes, uses some profanity and apparently sleeps with her. ELIZA DUSHKU plays Cassie's best friend and Matt's boyfriend who tries to get Cassie out of her funk. She smokes a few times, uses some profanity and seems to be sexually/romantically involved in some way with Raven. ANGELA FEATHERSTONE plays a mysterious, androgynous figure and friend of Annabel's who acts weird/ominous around Cassie and seems to be involved sexually/romantically with Annabel. LUKE WILSON plays a compassionate priest who tries to help Cassie through this trying time. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this PG-13 rated suspense/horror film. Various scenes in the film are designed to be suspenseful or scary to viewers, and some may find them that way, what with the accompanying scary music, supernatural type material and bloody scenes. The latter come from a deadly highway accident, as well as various visions of bloody moments and/or injured and dead people. Beyond that accidental highway death, two men repeatedly pursue the protagonist, with her eventually seemingly killing one of them (although all is not what it initially appears to be in this film), while a few people strike others. Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, including a character who apparently cheats on his girlfriend by sleeping with someone else (we see them the next morning in bed with an opened condom wrapper on the nightstand). Some making out is also seen (standing and prone), while two female characters are seemingly involved sexually (one scene includes the sight of them kissing and earlier, sexually related moaning). A few instances of non-explicit, sexually related dialogue are present, while profanity consists of at least 6 uses of the "s" word, other expletives and some colorful phrases. Beyond that, one character smokes a few times while various characters drink (some to the point of inebriation or being passed out). If you're still concerned about the film's appropriateness for anyone in your home who may want to see it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed content listings for more specific examples of what's present and/or occurs in it. For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, a few moments of that occur late in the film. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Various students drink at a college party, with some apparently passed out (Matt relieves one such man of his bottle of liquor and is later seen carrying it). Matt drinks from a flask and appears a bit intoxicated, although he later tells Cassie that he lied and isn't really drunk. Annabel drinks from Matt's flask. Annabel pops some of Cassie's prescription drugs. We see that Matt and Cassie have apparently had some wine. Matt brings Cassie her prescription medication and has her down it with liquor from his flask. Matt, Annabel and Cassie have beer. People drink inside a club. Cassie comes across a man sheepishly coming out of a bathroom stall where she then finds Annabel and Raven (with some possible drug involvement but we don't see anything). Matt drinks more liquor. BLOOD/GORE We see blood from Cassie's mouth and nose after the car accident. Cassie sees a drop of blood fall onto the paper on her desk and then sees a great deal more. We then see blood running off her desk and onto her shoe and the floor, and then see a great deal on her face and arm (but this turns out just to be a vision). Cassie briefly sees someone cleaning blood drops from the front of their shoe. Cassie finds blood all over the inside of her locker. Blood spreads through the water after an injured man falls into a pool. We see some blood on Matt's head after he's been hit. We see simultaneous scenes of Cassie running through the above building as well as through a hospital where she runs into a gurney and a dead and bloody body falls onto her. As the film comes to a close, we see many views of bloody or bloodied people from the car accident and other scenes (including Cassie with more blood on her face and bloody cuts on her legs). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Revelations late in the film explain some of the following behavior, with everything not being what it initially seems. A mask-wearing man at a club/party grabs Cassie while dancing near her (she pushes him away) and he and an accomplice later repeatedly pursue her. Matt and Cassie end up making out in a parked car (after he repeatedly urges/convinces her for one last "goodbye" kiss). Despite seemingly being Annabel's boyfriend, Matt apparently has sex with Cassie (they wake up in bed the next morning with an opened condom wrapper on the nightstand). A priest puts his hand down inside Cassie's shirt after stating he has to check something before he can help her. FRIGHTENING SCENES Various revelations and discoveries that occur during the course of the story may also be unsettling or scary to some viewers, as might scenes listed under "Violence" and "Blood/Gore." After falling asleep, Cassie awakens to banging at her door and then sees a dark figure enter her room and slowly approach her. Cassie and Annabel look into a mirror and we briefly see some bizarre image of the two (too brief to tell exactly what it was). Raven acts somewhat creepy around and toward Cassie. As some suspenseful music plays, Cassie walks by herself at night with us seeing the apparent point of view of someone behind her (and she keeps turning around). She then sees a masked figure paralleling her who then takes off after her. As Cassie takes a midterm (and sees only questions pertaining to the accident, etc.), she starts to get a nosebleed that quickly becomes much worse. During this, she remembers a scene from the hospital where the doctor shaves part of her head and then prepares to drill into it with a drill (we see the spinning drill bit just as it's about to touch her head when she suddenly pops out of this vision). As scary music plays, Cassie briefly sees what she believes to be Sean and others walking inside a building. Cassie finds the shower drain clogged and goes to investigate, only to have something suddenly erupt from it. Cassie slowly makes her way through an empty library at night after hearing some odd sounds. Cassie walks down the street at night by herself and repeatedly sees the reflection of someone pursuing her. When she turns around, the person isn't there, but she keeps seeing the same reflection and then finally sees a man who chases her down an alley that ends at a locked gate. As he approaches her, she eventually gets out and he's then no longer there. A masked man grabs Cassie (who's been swimming) at the edge of a pool and briefly struggles with her. Cassie spots the masked man and his accomplice while she competes in a swimming contest. A masked man pursues Cassie through a swim facility. She briefly tries to hide, but he then finds and grabs her. The two struggle until she hits him on the head with a long fluorescent light bulb. He then chases and grabs her from behind, and then seems to knee her and push her against a wall. She then seems to jab him with the broken bulb in his gut. The two then fall into the pool, with her struggling to get away from him as blood spreads through the water (and he's apparently dead). Cassie ends up running from a man through the bowels of an old building. We see simultaneous scenes of Cassie running through the above building as well as through a hospital (where she runs into a gurney and a dead and bloody body falls onto her) and of the initial truck accident and victims inside the crashed truck. Cassie then sees various views of dead people having sheets pulled over their heads. GUNS/WEAPONS Starters pistol: Used to signal the start of a swimming race. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Sometimes you can be a real sh*t," "You look like sh*t," "We don't give a sh*t," "Shut up," "Scared the hell out of me," "It sucks," "Covering their assess," "Jeez," "What the hell are you doing?" and "Screwed up." Matt, Annabel and Cassie end up painting each other while painting Cassie's place. We see various miscellaneous characters with multiple piercings, etc. on their bodies. JUMP SCENES Something suddenly sprays/spurts out of a shower drain that's clogged. Some kids suddenly pop out of an alley. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) An extreme amount of ominous and suspenseful music plays during the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) Some songs have lyrics that can't be understood, thus offering the potential for some possibly objectionable material being in them. PROFANITY At least 6 "s" words, 3 asses, 3 hells, 3 uses of "God" and 2 uses each of "Oh God" and "Oh my God" as exclamations. SEX/NUDITY When the others pick up Annabel in their packed truck, she asks where she's supposed to sit and Matt replies, "Right here, babe" (indicating his lap that we then see her on). Annabel shows cleavage in various scenes. We see Cassie and Sean making out while standing (and clothed) against a wall (he also nuzzles her neck). He then tells her that maybe that night she should show him how she feels about him (but that never happens). Matt and Cassie end up making out in a parked car (after he urges her for one last "goodbye" kiss). Matt, Annabel and Cassie end up painting each other while painting Cassie's place. Matt then paints two nipples onto Annabel's shirt and we then see Annabel and Cassie in the shower together (clothed) as they rinse off the paint (with Annabel rubbing it off Cassie and herself with a sponge in a slightly sensuous fashion). Cassie has a dream where she sees Sean and tells him that she wants him. They then kiss (with him also nuzzling her neck). She then says, "Make love to me" and we then see them out in the woods, kissing some more. We then briefly see him on top of her in the woods, with her bare leg up alongside his body (but don't see any nudity or anything explicit). Cassie then wakes up to find Matt in bed with her. As she sits up with the sheets wrapped around her nude body (we don't see anything), she sees an opened condom wrapper on the nightstand. She then asks if they slept together and he says that she said she wanted him. Annabel then stops by and sees Matt shirtless and Cassie wrapped in a sheet. Matt and Cassie later discuss this again, with Matt saying she told him to make love to her (apparently in her dream). Cassie slowly makes her way through an empty library at night after hearing some odd sounds. They turn out to be the pleasured/sexual sounds of a woman and she then catches sight of Annabel and Raven making out together (standing) in the library (suggesting something lesbian related). We hear what sound like pleasured sexual sounds coming from inside a bathroom at a club. SMOKING Annabel smokes a few times. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Annabel briefly mentions the time when her mom died. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT The big revelation at the end of the film and whether it was set up to be credible (particularly in hindsight). Losing close friends or boyfriends/girlfriends and how one reacts to that. VIOLENCE Revelations that occur later in the film show that not everything that's listed here really happened (although we initially see it as real). A mask-wearing man at a club/party grabs Cassie while dancing near her (she pushes him away). Cassie's truck crashes into a car that swerves and spins in front of them on a highway at night. The truck pushes the car through a guardrail and then tumbles down an embankment, eventually landing on its roof (with one person being reported killed). A man grabs Cassie (who's been swimming) at the edge of a pool and briefly struggles with her. Cassie punches Annabel, sending her crashing onto a table. A masked man pursues Cassie through a swim facility. She briefly tries to hide, but he then finds and grabs her. The two struggle until she hits him on the head with a long fluorescent light bulb. He then chases and grabs her from behind, and then seems to knee her and push her against a wall. She then seems to jab him with the broken bulb in his gut. The two then fall into the pool, with her struggling to get away from him as blood spreads through the water and he's apparently dead. Cassie hits Matt with a bottle, knocking him out, and both fall from a parked car to the ground. As Cassie wanders backwards into a street, an oncoming car runs into her and she smashes into its windshield. Reviewed September 7, 2001 / Posted September 7, 2001