Review of Carnival of Souls (1962) by Davey M — 05 Mar 2008
This dethrones Psycho and Nosferatu and any other possible contenders as The Scariest Movie I've Ever Seen. Words can't even begin to describe the weird, hallucinatory experience this is, with its effectively amateurish acting and cheap camerawork and bizarre organ-score, all of which gel to create a primordial, dreamlike terror that's a one-of-a-kind thing.
It taps into archetypal ideas--the horror (and aggression) of sexuality, of not being acknowledged or accepted, and so forth--but it seems to flow out of these, rather than comment on them, and it is all the more powerful and potent and exceptional for that.
It's the most horrific film I've ever seen because there is no easily-discernable root to the horror, which is, nonetheless, all too recognizable in its strangeness.
This review of Carnival of Souls (1962) was written by Davey M on 05 Mar 2008.
Carnival of Souls has generally received positive reviews.
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