[3.75/10] My Soul to Take (2010)

My Soul to Take (2010)

Written and directed by horror veteran Wes Craven, "My Soul to Take" follows the small town of Riverton, Massachusetts, where a legend tells of a notorious serial killer who placed a curse on a town before he died. He vowed he would return to kill all those who were born on the same night when he died. Seven children were born on that night and now, 16 years later those children start to disappear without a trace. Is it possible that the serial killer have cheated death on that dreadful night when people thought he was killed, or he has been reincarnated as of the seven children he vowed to kill? Well, only one of those kids knows the answer to the question. "My Soul to Take" is the first movie since 1994 "New Nightmare", that Wes Craven both wrote and directed, yet unfortunately, this fact doesn't save the film from being a complete and utter failure. Obviously Craven has completely run out of idea, as his latest teen slasher is painfully unoriginal and formulaic, and it suffers from confusing narrative, lack of focus and terrible pacing. Worst of all, it's boring as hell, as it delivers very few thrills and even less chills. The death scenes are few and far between, and while pretty gory, are extremely unsatisfying and devoid of any imagination whatsoever. Moreover, "My Soul to Take" is overstuffed with superficial characters who act stupidly and illogically, and filled with ridiculous dialogues that add to its overall silliness. Acting-wise, this crappy slasher also fails to impress. Max Thieriot's performance as Bug is, stylistically, all over the place. It ranges from over-the-top to completely bland and unconvincing. All of the supporting performances are sub-par, without a any real standouts. Craven's decision to convert this snoozefest in 3D is as ridiculous, as the movie itself. In this case, the 3D conversion is totally unnecessary, simply because "My Soul to Take" has nothing to offer in terms of special effects, action and violence. Add to this a stupid, supposed-to-be-shocking twist ending in the style of "Scream", and you get "My Soul to Take". On a positive note, the film is well-produced and it has nice cinematography, but sadly, these are the only areas where it succeeds. Dull, tedious, poorly-executed and completely thrill-free, "My Soul to Take" ranks among the worst and weakest horror movies of the year, and it's certainly the lowest point in Craven's career.