If you’re like me and you’ve already binged the first chunk of episodes from the final season of Netflix’s Stranger Things, then you’ll want to scratch that itch for more with The Soulless. Dread Central is proud to exclusively premiere the trailer and poster below for director Liam Hooper’s upcoming short (with development of a feature underway). Inspired by the work of filmmakers like Sam Raimi, Wes Craven, and John Carpenter, the film summons ’80s horror nostalgia with what it touts as “a magical coming of age twist.”
Written by Marco Rodriguez, The Soulless takes place during the Fall semester of 1989. There, we meet bookworms Molly (Sophia Delucchi) and Enith (Sophia Dawson). Desperate to expel the bad from their bullies and leave only the good, they lure them into a forest and perform a healing ritual. Of course, it all goes awry, transforming their tormenters into glowing, zombie-like entities. Surrounded by a labyrinth of trees and darkness, the girls must lead the soulless monsters they’ve created back to where the ritual began. But can they do so before the evil takes up a permanent residence in the bodies of the boys?
Watch the Trailer
There’s nothing like a little ’80s synth and atmospheric fog to get my nostalgic heart beating. Based on this tease for The Soulless, it looks like we can expect plenty more where that came from. Yet what most intrigues me is the intent from the protagonists to heal their bullies, not harm them. That’s the sort of kind (if not naive) warmth that’s a rare pleasure to see, especially these days.
Said director Liam Hooper in a statement, “I wanted to explore what happens when the desire to make someone better curdles into something darker. The protagonists – two teenage girls armed with books, jars, and naive hope – are innocently trying to fix the people who hurt them. The Soulless, the film’s eponymous antagonists, are both tragic and terrifying: glowing, hollow eyes and mouths
permanently screaming in agony, echoing memories of who they were before… and who they could’ve been…Audiences will come for the monsters and stay for the friendship.”
Speaking of those monsters, they were created by Santino Ferrese (Frankenstein, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) and co-crafted by creature actor Kevin Keppy (Smile, Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities). Better yet? The film promises a heavy dose of practical effects, with just a touch of digital enhancements.
The film also stars Evan Adams and KJ Criddell.
The Soulless will have its festival debut soon, with additional screenings to follow. Until then, make sure to follow the film’s official IG account for updates, and check out the ongoing crowdfunding campaign to support the filmmakers’ vision.
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