Not all movies are meant to be enjoyed in the exact same way. The way I see it, it’s the viewers’ responsibility to adjust their headspace to match what they’re about to watch and judge the film by its own merits. After all, you wouldn’t complain that a found footage production doesn’t have the same effects budget as a Marvel movie, and there’s no point in comparing Asylum-produced mockbusters to Academy Award nominees.
The best part about thinking of cinema in these relative terms is that it then becomes possible to enjoy no-budget features in all of their lo-fi glory while still pointing out the narrative elements that don’t work regardless of production value or technical prowess. However, things aren’t always so simple, and I was reminded of this while watching Jake C. Young’s indie oddity Souls Chapel. While the film’s shockingly low budget and rushed production harken back to shot-on-VHS passion projects from the 90s (as well as internet videos shot by LARPers wanting to immortalize their imaginary exploits), I can actually understand why some audiences might be put off by these limitations.
That being said, though I can’t blame anyone for being unable to look past dollar-store Halloween decorations being passed off as props and bizarre acting choices that would be considered questionable even for fans of community theater, I genuinely think that there’s some interesting filmmaking going on in the cursed bowels of Souls Chapel.
Inspired by local legends about Kentucky’s real-life Soules Chapel (an aging church that was abandoned after the Civil War and is now said to be one of the most haunted locations in the United States), Young’s film is a period piece following a familiar-looking drifter (played by Young himself) as he becomes entangled in a supernatural mystery involving an assortment of creepy locals interested in the church’s history. Of course, as the movie goes on, we soon realize that the “period setting” being emulated here is actually an alternate reality inspired by Steampunk, Spaghetti Westerns, and classic horror.
Right off the bat, the biggest influence here appears to come from Sergio Leone’s work, with Young’s poncho-wearing protagonist obviously serving as a stand-in for Clint Eastwood’s iconic “Man with No Name.” This makes a lot of sense, as Jake is actually related to Eastwood and aims to keep the family legacy alive through his own genre-bending projects. That being said, the film quickly shifts from the epic western aesthetic into a more intimate setting as Jake’s character seeks shelter from the snow and becomes trapped in the titular chapel.
Unfortunately, this is where budgetary issues begin to affect the viewing experience, with hastily improvised props and laughable weapon effects not only distracting audiences from the actual story being told while also failing to immerse viewers in an otherworldly timeline. The lack of proper sets even hinders the film’s internal logic, as this humble building doesn’t seem large enough for our main character to hide from his would-be captors. Don’t even get me started on the basement sequence where the filmmakers pretend that this (decidedly modern and well-lit) space is actually a dark labyrinth.
While I’d argue that most of Souls Chapel’s blunders are endearing in much the same way as visible strings on UFO models can be entertaining in a Roger Corman production, it’s hard to justify some of these creative decisions when the story could easily have been reworked into something much less difficult to shoot. It’s often said that, when working with microbudget filmmaking, the script should adjust itself to the limitations of the production instead of the other way around, and that’s why I find it odd that Jake didn’t make things easier for himself here.
I can sympathize with wanting to stay true to a creative vision, but there’s no concrete reason why this story couldn’t have been told as a neo-western set in the modern day. Think about it: a descendant of the Man with No Name (still wearing an antique poncho) happens upon a haunted chapel and becomes trapped inside with its ghostly denizens. This would have eliminated the need to cover up anachronistic details while also giving the narrative more creative leeway.
That’s not to say that there isn’t plenty of creativity on display here. From a couple of effective scares to an overarching structure that reminds me of the best parts of the most recent Hellboy adaptation, there’s plenty to like about this indie experiment if you can get past the cheap presentation. Hell, I’d even argue that the uneven production helps to add some much-needed humor into the mix.
That’s why I’d still recommend Souls Chapel to cinephiles who don’t mind having to wade through poorly crafted production design and campy acting in order to reach an interesting story. The actual telling of this tale may not be as smooth as it could have been (and I wish the film had either leaned further into its oddball Steampunk inspirations or omitted this detail entirely), but Jake’s heart is definitely in the right place.
In the meantime, I can’t wait to see what kind of genre mashup this team can come up with next – especially if there’s a bigger budget involved.
Souls Chapel is available now on Digital and DVD.
