User Reviews

This is the sort of thing that used to be the staple Christmas Fayre on the TV . You can imagine this being shown as a Family Ghost story to scare the young children and to take their mind off Santa Claus . Its a low budget moody,atmospheric tale that I will guess will flop badly at the box office (assuming it even makes it that far) . However , its in the main a very enjoyable simple drama that doesn't require you to think too much . Anna Walton is excellent in the lead (though she needs to work at bit at miming how to play a violin) . There are a couple of loud bangs to make you jump...a little bit of tomato sauce...a bit of ghostly make up....but other than that there aren't too many really scary moments to have you gripping the seat .But to be fair it doesn't pretend to be that sort of film . Its apparently got a certificate of 15...heaven knows why...kids will love it !

First of all, I hope Anna Walton goes far, she's a very good actress. She reminds me a lot of Kate Beckinsale and Rhona Mitra. She was easily the best part of the film, and great to watch. She conveyed a very solemn character in the movie, and her emotions were well done.

Parts of the movie, specifically the build-up of the relationship between Audrey and Douglas was kind of reminiscent of "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir," but trust me, it ends much differently. Theresa's confession towards the end was unexpected, and it was a nice twist.

It was low-budget, but they made good use of the money by setting the story in a very small town on the English countryside. I really loved the somewhat gloomy atmosphere. This is not a typical storyline as far as ghost stories go, but it was kind of original, and I'd recommend it. This is why I love indie film makers; some of the most original ideas are done by them, whereas Hollywood big studios like to play it safer by making prequels, sequels, and remakes.

I will say that they could have made the movie about 20 minutes shorter. I know they were building up the relationship, but some of it was plainly over kill. I did have a problem when Audrey initially met Douglas about 38 minutes into the film. He told her that he couldn't touch her. By proving it, he swiped his hand against a lamp, and his hand when right through it. However, he was sitting on a chair. Would he be able to be sitting? Wouldn't his body fall through it? lol. Also, never write the end credits in cursive. It was really hard to read who played which characters. I know, sorry for nitpicking.

I gave this a 6-star rating because of the originality, script, acting, and atmosphere. Also, as I said, I liked Teresa's twist at the end.

To be honest, Soulmate is a semi-decent film, in an escapist-fantasy-about-vulnerable-woman-who-meets- unattainable-man sort of way, but what it's not by any stretch of the imagination, is a horror film. And it's this fact that kind of makes it a victim of its own construction; the slow build of the first third (which is both effectively creepy and unsettling) ends up working against the film by setting a tone that the leads the big "reveal" and it's fallout to seem utterly silly and laughable. It's literally like Emily Bronte started a ghost story, and then it was picked up and finished by an aspiring self published YA author who's done too much Twilight fan fiction. What starts with one set of audience promises, just dives into a Gothic soap opera which aside from being a crippling disappointment, I found impossible to take seriously. If the film had launched straight in with the "reveal" (which it could easily have done without losing anything in terms of the narrative), I think it would have set a bar it could have sustained and been a reasonably engaging fantasy drama. As it stands, though it's just a very disjointed and untraditional ghost story that pulls in two directions and doesn't really succeed in getting anywhere in either.

It's an atmospheric ghost tale following a grieving woman played by the talented, Anna Walton as she tries to get away from the grief she carries with her by staying in an old cottage in Wales. As she tries to find herself again, she finds that she's not alone in the cottage. Tom Wisdom is wonderful as the hauntingly lonely Douglas Talbot - running the full emotional gambit of endearing and sorrowful to just plain frightening.

It's beautifully shot with slow moving camera and lovely scenery. Wonderfully written and brilliantly directed by Axelle Carolyn who picked a lovely cast of talented actors. Definitely worth watching!

The first thing that bites you about 'Soulmate' is the extraordinary scenery. Filmed in Wales, entirely on location I think, it looks breathtaking. Director Axelle Carolyn absolutely makes the most of it.

Audrey, played by the always wonderful Anna Walton, stays at a remote house in the middle of nowhere to piece together her broken spirit following the death of her husband and subsequent suicide attempt. Not only does the house appear to be frequented by a mysterious other, but she has to fend off sticky-beak neighbour Theresa (Tanya Myers) whilst confiding in her husband Dr Zellaby (Roger Corman's former Frankenstein Monster Nick Brimble). This, alongside Douglas (Tom Wisdom) pretty much is the cast, all fine performers.

Cautiously for a work of horror fiction, the BBFC requested compulsory cuts to the pre-credits suicide sequence, as they felt that the risk of imitation was too high to be acceptable. Luckily they didn't feel that anyone would copy the subsequent traumatic incidents involving Audrey, or we wouldn't have this splendid film at all - but at least the public would have been spared any inclination to go out and haunt someone.

Ultimately, the story proves to be slight, and the ending might have been a little more conclusive. After investing in these characters for so long, it seems a shame most of their journeys were left so open-ended.

However, it is very difficult not to enjoy this richly layered, deeply atmospheric production. I wouldn't suggest it is necessarily a 'gentle' horror, but it what it (deliberately) lacks in spectacle and gore, it makes up for in its immersive mood. My score is 7 out of 10.

Written and Directed by Axelle Carolyn, Soulmate is an absolute gem of a film, shot with pretty much a handful of cast members (including Anubis the dog, shes awesome), the film is an excellent piece of work for Axelle's feature debut (she has directed several short films previous to this).

Soulmate has beautiful cinematography (by Sara Deane) set in stunning locations (Powys in Wales), the film has an excellent stage play feel to it, and if it hasn't already begun to appeal to those who love theatre, it should. 'Soulmate' would work brilliantly on stage. Heres hoping Axelle decides to adapt it for the boards at some point.

But lets get back to the film. Whereas most 'haunted house' films are set to large set pieces and furniture flying all over the place, people screaming and running from buildings that collapse. 'Soulmate' is pure character based storytelling, focusing on Audrey (Anna Walton) and her obsession with learning more about Talbot Cottage and its history.

Whilst the performance of the film pretty much sits on the shoulders of Anna Walton, the supporting cast also do a wonderful job with their roles.

The minimal cast of Tom Wisdom (300, The Boat That Rocked), Tanya Myers (Oranges and Sunshine, Control) and Nick Brimble (Robin Hood:Prince of Thieves, 7Lives), and Anubis the dog in her feature film debut all propelling the story towards its conclusion.

Whilst I don't like to focus on gender, it is worth noting (isnt it?) that its fantastic and very well earned to see so many main roles in this film occupied by women. Writer/Director, Cinematographer, Art Direction, Costume designer, Make up department, and many many more.

Would the film have been different had it been male orientated? (different perhaps, better, I highly doubt it) Who knows. But I know that Soulmate is a fantastic project, with the perfect casting, from a great story, wonderfully acted and put together. It doesn't need action set pieces, it doesn't need buckets of gore or jump scares, and doesn't need a third act set of craziness. Things that so often fill creepy films nowadays.

For those who love creepy house movies, perhaps you are a Hammer film fan. Did you love The Others or The Woman In Black? But you know what. If you just love good films, with good stories. Then you need to check out Soulmate which is out on DVD on August 11th 2014. Or perhaps you love the classic films. I was reminded to a certain extent of a film that came out in the 40s, but I didn't see until the late 80s. That film. The Ghost and Mrs Muir where the story also wasn't a poltergeist movie but was in fact a film about people (and spirits). If you haven't seen The Ghost and Mrs Muir. Track it down.

Its also worth noting that on the Soulmate DVD there are some great special features including interviews with some of the people behind the film (Axelle Carolyn, Neil Marshall and Anna Walton)

Audrey (Anna Walton) is a recent, young widow who is plagued by the premature death of her husband. She attempts suicide to escape her pain, but her failure leads her to an even deeper depression. She escapes to a remote cottage in the Wales countryside to be in solitude and to work on her music once again. Audrey soon hears noises coming from a locked room in the cottage, only to eventually learn that it is haunted by the previous owner, Douglas Talbot (Tom Wisdom). Axelle creates suspense, both with the accompanying music score and with the camera. However, the jump-in-your-seat shocks happen when you least expect them! I admit, I flinched several times and on one occasion, actually let out a quick scream, much to my embarrassment. Instead of running away from her ghostly house mate, Audrey befriends him, much to his amazement. Their friendship develops beautifully; each one helping the other cope with the torments of their past. There is a love for one another, one much deeper than the other, though.

Anna is superb as Audrey; you feel her pain along with her, often with a knot in your stomach as she tries to make it through each day. As her tension relaxes with her new supernatural friend, you experience the warm, fuzzy feelings during their unique moments of camaraderie. Simple gestures, such as playing chess together (as Douglas struggles to move the pieces to the desired space with his energy), leaves you with a sweet smile. And when Audrey feels terror, you feel it with her.

This film is unlike any you have seen Tom Wisdom in before; his true acting colors shine through in his portrayal of Douglas. Tormented from his past, he has struggled for thirty years in loneliness as no one has ever been able to see or hear him until Audrey came along. As Audrey asks him personal questions, his silent stares make you uncomfortable, which is precisely what he was aiming for. From his sweet, gentle demeanor to his explosive anger, Tom flexes his acting chops in the film. You adore him and are completely terrified of him all in two hours. His deathly makeup only adds to the character, making him completely believable as a long-dead man.

I always enjoy twists at the end of films that I didn't see coming, which Axelle delivers perfectly. An ending that one doesn't anticipate in the least, I actually heard some quiet gasps in the audience around me (myself included). The film was dark, Gothic, hauntingly romantic, and in a word, fantastic.

The market's been saturated a bit lately with ghostly goings on in the wake of successful movies such as The Conjuring, Sinister and Insidious – which makes it that much more difficult to come up with something fresh and engaging. But this debut feature from writer-director Axelle Carolyn gives us exactly that, a story with a real emotional core but no shortage of scary moments.

Recently widowed musician Audrey (Hellboy 2's Anna Walton delivering a standout turn) retreats to an isolated Welsh cottage to recover after a failed suicide attempt. Once there, she discovers things going bump in the night and starts to see disturbing visions of her late husband. But the ghost, when it reveals itself, turns out to be that of a former owner – Douglas (Tom Wisdom from the TV series Dominion) – whose suicide bid was anything but a failure.

Wondering if she's going mad or just suffering from the side effects of her strong depression medication, Audrey tries to learn more about Douglas from local couple Theresa (Casualty's Tanya Myers) and her husband (the always wonderful Nick Brimble from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves). After being warned against digging too deep, Audrey is left confused as to whether the spirit is friend or foe. Has she found 'someone' who might be able to understand her predicament, the fact she blames herself for what happened, or a shade that has problems of its own? Only time will tell...

In the interviews section of the extras, Carolyn freely admits that she was trying to make a traditional British supernatural movie, a Ghost and Mrs. Muir for this generation but with a darker tone. What she has accomplished is so much more, something that works on a variety of levels. It's a tale about loss, sure, but also about relationships and finding – or rediscovering – oneself after a major life (or death) event. The performances are universally excellent, helping with the suspension of disbelief, but the film is also beautifully shot, belying its low budget origins and simultaneously making the most of the atmospheric Brecon Beacons where it was shot. There are more than enough shocks, surprises and twists to satisfy your average genre fan, but at its heart this is a thought-provoking drama full of character studies and insight.

Other extras include interviews with Walton and Neil Marshall (Carolyn's husband, but also editor and exec producer on the movie), plus a couple of previous shorts she wrote and directed: the heart-warming Halloween Kid and The Last Post, which is by turns unsettling and poignant (the ending will have you welling up). I really can't recommend this one highly enough, and after such a stunning first movie I have to wonder what delights are coming in the future.

3 February 2015. There is little in the way of shock horror in this supernatural romance, psychological thriller. This movie is unusual in that it is simple in its conception using mostly natural light and the authentic richness of human, mortal psychological depth to capture the audience in its web. This is a slow paced movie that reeks of mental thoughts and feelings and paranoid and romantic emotions. In a way, this movie is the occult version of Diane Lane's story and performance in Under the Tuscan Sun (2003) At the same time, Soulmates has the finely honed thematic and atmospheric setting, but much lighter with back and forth movement than the more traditionally but deliciously creepy horror movie Dark Water (2005).

In a way, Soulmate rivals the much more epic and comprehensive supernatural creepiness as Black Death (2010) during the European plague but instead using a much more relational, intimate setting within mostly the confines of a single house, that is both light and dark, day and night that offers up both bitter memories and sweet possibilities. In other ways, Soulmates offers the richness and psychological haunting of Silent Hill (2006) but with much more delicate, subtle brush strokes, without the need for overly dramatic special effects. What makes Soulmate special is its screen time devoted to the everyday life of characters who literally sometimes develop within the movie, like that of Natalie Portman's brilliant evolving performance and sustained psychological thriller in Black Swan (2010) as a ballerina.

Soulmate also has a more cerebral, yet emotional pungent connection to be made than even than Jennifer Lopez's character in The Cell (2000) that brought horror gore to the screen along with a resonate emotional twang. Devil (2010) mostly shot within the confines of an elevator and its evolutionary horror has echoes that might be precursors of Soulmate released three years late, though its much more overt use of violence is, well, reasonable to be expected to be associated with the subject matter and movie title. However, incredibly as it might sound, there are hints of the atmospheric setting and rich backdrop and almost sedate leisurely pace that can be found in Soulmate as depicted in the Italian setting of the drama period piece Enchanted April (1991) and as immersively depicted rich and subtle as in mesmerizing ghost thriller The Awakening (2011) only released two years before Soulmate. Nevertheless Soulmate doesn't quite have the intense gripping sustained bite of John Cusack's performance and script that uses special effects in a seamlessly scary horror film 1408 (2007) set almost exclusively in a single hotel room. Neither does Soulmate reach the evolving psychological drama that sweeps over the audience in Another Earth (2011). Nevertheless as far as occult psychological thrillers, Soulmate is a fabulous mature contribution to the genre.

My spoiler free review for The Bloody Asylum that can be found at WordPress, Mr Geeky blog:

Sadly a film which has very undeservedly gone under the radar.

Soulmate is the award winning 2013 British feature film debut of Belgium film-maker Axelle Carolyn, more well known to many as the former wife and film-making partner of Neil Marshall, director of Dog Soldiers and The Descent. She also played a role in his 2010 film Centurion. Her most recent film, which she created and produced, is the highly acclaimed 2015 anthology film Tales of Halloween. She also contributed to it as the writer and director of the "Grim Grinning Ghost" segment starring Alex Essoe, star of the superb Starry Eyes from 2014. Axelle Carolyn also most recently co-wrote an episode of Netflix Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Chapter Nine: The Returned Man.

She conceived, wrote, and directed the modern set gothic horror Soulmate, which was produced by Neil Marshall. The film is in part inspired by the stories of M.R. James and the Henry James novella Turn of the Screw, most famously adapted into the 1961 film The Innocents and later the inspiration for the 2001 film The Others starring Nicole Kidman. However, Soulmate brings something slightly different to its inspirations. It is at its core a beautifully melancholic meditation on loss and grief with a superb lead performance by Anna Walton. She is complimented by a brilliant supporting cast of Tom Wisdom, Tanya Myers and the hugely underrated Nick Brimble, star of Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, The Sweeney tv series and films, and The Creature in Roger Corman's Frankenstein Unbound.

The film forgoes jump scares in favor of atmosphere and a slow build, making it feel different to many modern horror films. Along the way there are some unexpected twists and turns with a nuanced ambiguity even as the credits roll. The atmosphere of the film is accentuated by the breathtakingly beautiful bleak cinematography and production design coupled with the perfect use of music and sound.

Sadly for the British release Axelle Carolyn was forced by the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) to make cuts to the suicide sequence because they felt even as an 18 certificate (hard R rating) there was too much focus on the technique shown and could be imitated. She, rightly so, felt that those cuts romanticized suicide and instead cut out the entire scene from the British version of the film, amounting to two minutes and thirty three seconds. To have her vision compromised because a key scene was cut must have hurt because it feels that this negates the impact of the entire film. Maybe this was the reason one of the best British films of recent years went under the radar and is now an almost forgotten film. The version I saw and reviewed is the uncut version that to this day is unjustly banned in the UK. Jokingly Axelle Carolyn calls it a Video Nastie, which it definitely is not.

For those who are looking for a subtle thoughtful horror film with depth and heart Soulmate is highly recommended.

Hopefully in the future we will see more from the extremely talented Axelle Carolyn.

Atmospheric, creepy , great acting . I just don't understand the negative comments here , were these people expecting a Saw genre ?