''My Soul to Take'' is a 2010 American

slasher film A slasher film is a genre of horror films involving a killer stalking and murdering a group of people, usually by use of bladed or sharp tools like knife, chainsaw, scalpel, etc. Although the term "slasher" may occasionally be used informally as ...

written and directed by

Wes Craven Wesley Earl Craven (August 2, 1939 – August 30, 2015) was an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and editor. Craven has commonly been recognized as one of the greatest masters of the horror genre due to the cultural imp ...

. It is his first film since 1994's ''

Wes Craven's New Nightmare ''Wes Craven's New Nightmare'' (also known simply as ''New Nightmare'') is a 1994 American meta slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven, creator of 1984's ''A Nightmare on Elm Street''. A standalone film and the seventh installment in ...

'' that he wrote, produced, and directed. The film stars

Max Thieriot Maximillion Drake Thieriot (; born October 14, 1988) is an American actor and director. He made his acting debut in the 2004 adventure comedy film ''Catch That Kid''. Thieriot has since appeared in the action comedy '' The Pacifier'' (2005), the ...

as Adam "Bug" Hellerman, who is one of seven

teenagers Adolescence () is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with the t ...

chosen to die following the anniversary of a serial killer's death.

Denzel Whitaker Denzel Dominique Whitaker (born June 15, 1990) is an American actor. Beginning his career as a child actor, he acted in the films '' Training Day'' (2001) and '' The Ant Bully'' (2006) before portraying James Farmer Jr. in ''The Great Debaters' ...

Raul Esparza Raul, Raúl and Raül are the Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Galician, Asturian, Basque, Aragonese, and Catalan forms of the Anglo-Germanic given name Ralph or Rudolph. They are cognates of the French Raoul. Raul, Raúl or Raül may re ...

, and

Shareeka Epps Shareeka Epps (born July 11, 1989) is an American actress. She is best known for starring in the 2006 film '' Half Nelson'', alongside Ryan Gosling. She won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her performance in the film. Life ...

also star. The film's title comes from a line in the

prayer Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified ...

" Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep", which reads "If I shall die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take." Craven previously used the prayer as a mantra by Nancy Thompson in ''

A Nightmare on Elm Street ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' is a 1984 American supernatural slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Robert Shaye. It is the first installment in the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' franchise and stars Heather Langenka ...

''. The film was released on October 8, 2010. It was unsuccessful at the box office, grossing just $21 million against its $25 million budget and received negative reviews from critics.

Plot

Family man Abel Plenkov, a sufferer of dissociative identity disorder, accidentally discovers that he is the Riverton Ripper, a local, masked serial killer. After killing his pregnant wife, Sarah, and then his psychiatrist, he is shot down and carted away in an ambulance, leaving his young daughter Leah and premature son orphaned. On the way to the hospital, a paramedic suggests that Plenkov himself is innocent but that he houses multiple souls, with the Ripper's being one of them. Near death, Plenkov unexpectedly revives, slashing the paramedic in the throat, causing the ambulance to crash and burn. Seven children who were born on the day of Plenkov's death and supposedly carry the traits of his personalities are dubbed the Riverton Seven. Sixteen years later, the Riverton Seven – blind Jerome, loser Alex, imaginative Jay, timid Bug, religious Penelope, beautiful Brittany, and jock Brandon — gather for the annual ritual of "killing" a Ripper puppet to superstitiously prevent his return. Bug is elected but fails. Not long after, Jay is murdered by the reappeared Ripper. At home, Bug begins to redo a class project, exhibiting Jay's creativity. At school, Brandon torments Bug and Alex on orders of Fang, a tyrannical bully. Bug and Alex decide to spy on Fang to see if Brittany has a crush on him. During their surveillance, Fang cruelly alleges that Bug had previously been in institutions for killing people. Bug begins unwittingly imitating the rest of the Riverton Seven, as well as Fang. Penelope, having predicted the Ripper's return as well as their deaths, is the next one killed. Brandon and Brittany discover her body in the woods and are both stabbed to death also. That night, Fang, who is revealed to be Bug's sister and going by her name of Leah, gives her brother a birthday present: a rocking horse created by Abel Plenkov. Angrily, she unveils the truth that had long been hidden: that they are his children and she is the daughter he had failed to kill; Bug had survived in his dead mother's womb albeit born prematurely. Everyone saw him as a miracle, which caused Fang to harbor lifelong resentment towards him; she had been traumatized by the event but he remained innocent of its memory. The two reconcile, but are informed of the murders. Alex visits a distressed Bug and theorizes that the Ripper's evil soul jumped into one of the Riverton Seven, forcing them to kill off the others. Downstairs, Bug and Fang encounter the Ripper. Just as Bug is about to be killed, the Ripper hears a noise upstairs. Bug goes back to his room, discovering Jerome, mortally wounded, in his closet. After Jerome dies, Alex reappears and suggests that Bug inherited Dissociative Identity Disorder from his father, and had unknowingly killed everyone. Bug rejects this idea. The souls of the dead Seven are now part of him, and together they help him deduce that Alex is, in fact, the one with the Ripper's soul. "Alex" admits guilt and confesses his revenge. He proposes that they kill Fang and pin the murders on Jerome to appear as heroes. Bug refuses, stabbing Alex in the stomach. Freed from the Ripper's soul, Alex dies as himself in a touching moment between best friends. Although Bug expects to be arrested, Fang tells the police everything, clearing his name. The town proclaims him a hero. Despite not feeling like one, he narrates that he would "fake it good" in order to honor Alex's memory.

Cast

as Adam 'Bug' Hellerman *

John Magaro John Robert Magaro (born February 16, 1983) is an American actor. He starred in '' Not Fade Away'' (2012). He also had roles in ''The Big Short'', '' Carol'' (2015) and the Netflix series ''Orange Is the New Black'' and ''The Umbrella Academy''. ...

as Alex Dunkelman *

as Jerome King * Zena Grey as Penelope Bryte * Nick Lashaway as Brandon O'Neil * Paulina Olszynski as Brittany Cunningham * Jeremy Chu as Jay Chan *

Emily Meade Emily Meade (born January 10, 1989) is an American film and television actress. She has appeared in films such as '' Twelve'' (2010), '' My Soul to Take'' (2010), ''Gimme Shelter'' (2013), ''That Awkward Moment'' (2014), ''Money Monster'' (2016), ...

as Leah 'Fang' Hellerman *

as Abel Plenkov *

Jessica Hecht Jessica Hecht is an American actress and singer who played Gretchen Schwartz on ''Breaking Bad'', Susan Bunch on ''Friends'', and Carol on '' The Boys''. She has also made numerous Broadway appearances. Early life and education Hecht was born ...

as May Hellerman *

Frank Grillo Frank Anthony Grillo (born June 8, 1965) is an American actor and martial artist. He played Brock Rumlow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films '' Captain America: The Winter Soldier'' (2014), '' Captain America: Civil War'' (2016), '' Avengers ...

as Detective Frank Patterson *

Danai Gurira Danai Jekesai Gurira (; born February 14, 1978) is an American-Zimbabwean actress and playwright. She is best known for her starring roles as Michonne on the AMC horror drama series '' The Walking Dead'' (2012–2020, 2022) and as Okoye in th ...

as Jeanne-Baptiste *

Harris Yulin Harris Yulin (born November 5, 1937) is an American actor who has appeared in over a hundred film and television series roles, such as '' Scarface'' (1983), ''Ghostbusters II'' (1989), '' Clear and Present Danger'' (1994), '' Looking for Richard' ...

as Dr. Blake *

as Chandelle King *

Dennis Boutsikaris Dennis Boutsikaris (; born December 21, 1952) is an American character actor who has won the Obie Award twice. He is also a narrator of audiobooks, for which he has won 13 Golden Earphone Awards and 8 Audie Awards. He won Best Audiobook of the ...

as Principal Pratt *

Felix Solis Felix Angel Solis (born September 17, 1971) is an American actor, film director, and film producer. Born on the Upper West Side and raised in Chelsea/Greenwich Village area of New York City, to parents that were both born in Puerto Rico, Felix co ...

as Chela * Trevor St. John as Lake * Lou Sumrall as Quint *

Alexandra Wilson Alexandra Muriel Wilson is an American actress. She is best known for playing the original Josie Watts on the soap opera '' Another World'' (1988–1991). She also starred in the television series '' Homefront'' (1991-1992) and the major motio ...

as Sarah Plenkov * Michael Bell as Podcast guest

Production

The film is produced by Anthony Katagas and first-time producer Iya Labunka, Craven's wife.

Casting

Henry Hopper, son of actor Dennis Hopper, was originally cast in the lead role of Bug, but was replaced by Thieriot after Hopper contracted

mononucleosis Infectious mononucleosis (IM, mono), also known as glandular fever, is an infection usually caused by the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV). Most people are infected by the virus as children, when the disease produces few or no symptoms. In young adult ...

. Accompanying Thieriot is

as Alex Dunkelman, Adam's friend who is

abused Abuse is the improper usage or treatment of a thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, crimes, or other t ...

regularly by his sadistic boorish stepfather, Quint (Lou Sumrall). Paulina Olszynski plays Brittany Cunningham, who shares a mutual secret attraction to Adam. Nick Lashaway plays Brandon O'Neal, a "dashing, athletic jock" and "the handsomest boy in his school" who is attracted to Brittany.

plays Leah ("Fang"). ( Zena Grey),

, Trevor St. John,

Raúl Esparza Raúl Eduardo Esparza (born October 24, 1970) is an American stage, screen, and voice actor. Considered one of Broadway's leading men since the 2000s, he is best known for his Tony Award-nominated performance as Bobby in the 2006 Broadway reviva ...

, and

also star.

Filming

Production began in April 2008, under the

working title A working title, which may be abbreviated and styled in trade publications after a putative title as (wt), also called a production title or a tentative title, is the temporary title of a product or project used during its development, usually ...

''25/8'', originally aiming for an October 2009 release. Craven described the killer in March 2009 as "a figure who lives under the river", eats bark, and lives in the woods since his alleged death. Although many of the main scenes were filmed in multiple rural Massachusetts towns, with the majority of outdoor scenes by the river and covered bridge being shot in Kent, CT at Bull's Bridge, many of the high school scenes were shot in the then-vacant Tolland High School (no
Tolland Middle School
in

Tolland, Connecticut Tolland is a suburban town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 14,563 at the 2020 census. History Tolland was named in May, 1715, and incorporated in May, 1722 from Windsor. The town was over 20 miles away from ...

. Other scenes were filmed in

New Milford, CT New Milford is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The town is in western Connecticut, north of Danbury, on the banks of the Housatonic River, and it shares its border with the northeastern shore of Candlewood Lake. It is ...

and Gaylordsville, CT and Westhill High School in

Stamford, CT Stamford () is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut, outside of Manhattan. It is Connecticut's second-most populous city, behind Bridgeport. With a population of 135,470, Stamford passed Hartford and New Haven in population as of the 2020 ...

Post-production

The film was shot in 2D. Because of the rising popularity of 3D films, it was post-converted to 3-D.

Release

''My Soul to Take'' was theatrically released on October 8, 2010, with screenings in 3-D. The trailer was attached to '' Resident Evil: Afterlife'' and ''

Devil A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conceptions of ...

''. The film opened at #4 on its opening Friday, but ultimately placed at #5 for the weekend with $6,842,220 behind ''

The Social Network ''The Social Network'' is a 2010 American biographical drama film directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, based on the 2009 book ''The Accidental Billionaires'' by Ben Mezrich. It portrays the founding of social networking websi ...

'', '' Life as We Know It'', ''

Secretariat Secretariat may refer to: * Secretariat (administrative office) * Secretariat (horse) Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989), also known as Big Red, was a champion American thoroughbred racehorse who is the ninth winner of the Ame ...

'', and the previous 3D screen holder '' Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole'', in its third weekend. It had placed the record for the lowest opening of a 3D film released at over 1500 venues, claiming the record from '' Alpha and Omega'' until '' Gulliver's Travels'' claimed the record two months later. At the end of its run, the film had grossed $14,744,435 at the US box office and $6,740,619 overseas for a worldwide total of $21,485,054. ''My Soul to Take'' was released on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

and

Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...

on February 8, 2011.

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

the film holds an approval rating of 10% from 63 reviews, with an average rating of 3.4/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Dull, joyless, and formulaic, ''My Soul to Take'' suggests writer/director Wes Craven ended his five-year filmmaking hiatus too soon." On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

, the film has a weighted average score of 25 out of 100 based on 13 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "D" on an A+ to F scale. Despite the negative reviews, Wes Craven said he was proud of the film: "When you do a film like ''My Soul to Take'' and people think it sucks, that hurts. We put a lot of work into it and it's a good film, but you go on."

References

External links

* * * * * {{Wes Craven 2010 films 2010 3D films 2010 horror films 2010s teen horror films American teen horror films American serial killer films American slasher films 2010s English-language films American supernatural horror films Films set in the 1990s Films shot in Connecticut Films set in 2009 Relativity Media films Rogue (company) films Films scored by Marco Beltrami Films directed by Wes Craven 2010s slasher films 2010s American films