My Soul to Keep (2019) User Reviews

Deserved Improvements in the Screenplay

[claudio_carvalho · 5/10 · 28 December 2019]

The nine year-old boy Eli (Parker Smerek) is lured by his teenager sister Emily (Emmanuelle Turco) and discloses to his school class that there is a Broughlin Monster in his basement that is afraid of the light. His parents Liz (Maria Wasikowski) and Richard Braverman (Brandon Matthew Layne) are summoned by the teacher that believes Eli has a psychological problem. Meanwhile Eli convinces his best friend Sam (Remington Gielniak) and his school mate Hillary (Arielle Olkhovsky) that the monster does exist. When his parents leave Eli with Emily babysitting him to go to a restaurant, she leaves her brother alone in the house and goes to a bar with her boyfriend Dominic (Jake Rotger). Soon Eli finds whether the monster is real or fruit of his imagination.

"My Soul to Keep" is a dramatic supernatural film open to interpretation. The acting is excellent and the plot holds the attention of the viewer. However the screenplay deserved improvements to make this original film a classic of the horror genre. Anyway it deserved to be watched. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

A Movie for All Ages.....accidently.

[porkchopis2 · 6/10 · 6 October 2019]

The story prior to the ending is basically a child's horror movie, but some things, including the ending are adult themed! Wouldn't recommend it for either group. The six stars I gave it are for the younger child actors who all did a great job.

Let's be realistic...

[Wikkid_Gamez · 6/10 · 5 October 2019]

Is this scary? Should it just be labeled as horror? Most definitely not. I think if it were correctly labled as maybe horror/family then maybe some others wouldn't get the wrong idea. That said, it was a cute, fun little spooky movie to watch with the kids. The acting is good, the mood it sets is perfect to get into the Halloween spirit with your family.

Home alone meets Boogyman

[itsjustin-85666 · 3/10 · 5 October 2019]

Paid $7 to rent this on cable, I knew it was risky with only 79 people having rated it (at that time) but I took the gamble. I can say for me it was not worth it.

The best I can describe this movie is home alone meets the boogyman. This movie is not even the slightest bit scary, and without ruining it with spoilers, I'll just say there are things that make no sense at all.

Save your money (or time) and look elsewhere.

Bad... REALLY bad!

[dan_slentz · 2/10 · 6 October 2019]

First.. the positive. The cinematography was very good.. and there were some nice shots. The work of the production crew was that of any good movie. But that's where the positive's end! The story was absolutely CRAP.. poorly written! The directing and acting were awful on behalf of the primary characters (which, since we're dealing with young actors, means the direction was terrible)! If you want a horror movie or scary movie, look elsewhere (for sure!!) If you like endings that basically say "hey, if this movie makes money, come see part 2.. otherwise just use your imagination". Hey production company... If I wanted to use my imagination, I would have imagined the whole damn movie! If you make a movie.. give me an ending that makes even a little sense.. and allow each movie you make to STAND ON ITS OWN!! Lame!! For a GREAT horror/scary movie, see the 1980 movie called "Ghost Story"! Best old-fashioned scary movie EVER!

Great family film but doesn't live up to the genre...

[andymosby · 5/10 · 5 October 2019]

The major issue that most will have with this film is that it is sorely disappointing if you go into it expecting a horror/thriller/suspense movie. Not to be misunderstood, it DOES have elements of suspense; there are a couple of jump scares, and the concept might prove frightening for younger children--especially the last thirty minutes or so--but it is not a scary movie, in the greater sense. Rather, its plot is underpinned by disturbing themes that have been all but masked by the action. In a sense, it could be compared to the Stranger Things series but with less intrigue, tame imagery, and a weak plot. I would venture so far as to say even the Goosebumps television series was more suited to the genre.

That said, the film is a series of (not always tropes but) blatant cliches. Not to ruin it with spoilers, it seems even the writers acknowledged this through well-placed jokes about light bulbs, furnaces, and batteries. This isn't really a distraction from the movie, but some will find it predictable up through an ending that leaves you wondering... "what was the point of the last thirty minutes?" The plot is, otherwise, poorly constructed. There are a sundry of arbitrary devices and tangents that serve no real purpose and conflicts that are introduced but never resolved.

In the end, it's a pretty "meh" film, neither particularly interesting nor overly boring. The acting is great, and it's a movie that the whole family can watch (if not paying too much attention to the details.)

Very different, but well made Retro-Horror. In today's environment though many will likely find it boring...

[lathe-of-heaven · 7/10 · 25 October 2019]

First and foremost, I want to comment that I feel that the movie is very well made. The cinematography, pacing, lighting, nice slow Classic camera movements and suspense, and most especially the acting, were truly all very well thought out, created, and executed.

Now, with that said though, this is a VERY different kind of film. As other reviewers have said, there is not a lot of what people think of as 'Horror' in the movie. But, what I feel makes it very engaging is that it is put together so well that the characters, suspense, and flow of the story do carry you along. If you are looking for anything extreme here or shocking, you will not find it. It IS pretty much written with a younger audience in mind. BUT... even so, I think that if you have a very active imagination, an almost 'childlike' one, then I think there is a good chance that you may really get caught up in it.

There are quite a few Horror films where young people of this age are featured that I find totally unbelievable, forced, unrealistically vulgar, and quite frankly very poorly done. Many of the critic's reviews were quite strong about this one, and in this case I agree with them.

Yes, the film is very vague as far as the 'Plot' or what is actually happening, but again, for me personally regardless of the Genre of the movie, what usually catches my attention is the quality and thought that are put into it and how well it is acted and put across. This is a VERY simple, low-key Horror film compared to a lot of the extreme stuff we see these days, so many here have indeed stated how 'Boring' the movie is and give it a '1' But, to me, that is not the point... If you want more exciting Horror, then fine... watch something with more punch to it; there are many excellent strong Horror films out there. But, that is not the focus of this one. This one is quite deliberately engineered to help the audience enter the mind of a child that age, and it works beautifully. That doesn't mean that you will necessarily be thrilled with the 'story' as it is, but the journey throughout is quite well worth it in my lowly and wretched opinion.

Probably most impressive, and many films these days do NOT have this quality, is that the acting was VERY realistic and believable. Far more believable than some very popular young people oriented shows on now. It never seems contrived or artificial, and also something that really made me smile several times, is the well placed but very simple humour in some of the throwaway lines. Many times, with young actors the writers try to make them seem 'smart' or 'clever', but end up way overdoing it making it come across as false. But, the writers / creators of this film interject just these few, genuinely funny low-key lines here and there which I feel really add to the overall enjoyment and engagement of the movie.

Again, a very low-key, simple Horror film geared towards young people. But, one that I truly feel is above average. With the right expectations and understanding of just what KIND of film this is, I think people who appreciate movies that are well done will find themselves more caught up in this story than they would have thought...

YES, I enjoyed this!

[paulclaassen · 5/10 · 7 April 2020]

Not to be confused with the 2010 horror film 'My Soul to Take'. 'My Soul to Keep' is an interesting concept. Everything that happens here might merely be a kid's interpretation of what's going on, and not reality. Kids often make up stories and events they perceive as real - whether it be due to an over-active imagination or to cope with something they fear.

I enjoyed the characters and the setting in the big house. The acting was pretty good. I especially found Brandon Matthew Layne good as Dad. Maria Wasikowski, however, seemed too young to have a 16-year old daughter and didn't sell the Mother-character to me.

The film effectively utilizes children's fears to create an interesting, somewhat creepy movie, with some good visual effects. There's actually not much happening throughout the movie, apart from what the children believe to be happening, but it nevertheless remains engaging - with some highly effective, scary moments. Loved the score, too. The film proves you don't need blood, guts and gore to make a great horror film. And what an unpredictable, good ending...

not bad at all...

[lifelinespublishing · 7/10 · 10 October 2019]

The pace was a bit slow for my taste but I particularly liked the ending and it shows that Eli's character has heart and courage and paid it with his life...

overall, the acting was good, the story was ok but I wished the special effects were scarier as this movie targets the 8-13 kid range., it will not scare adults most definitely but the story is good enough to keep you locked in.

a 7/10 for me., +2 for the ending

A scary movie for the youngsters...

[paul_haakonsen · 5/10 · 7 May 2020]

Right, well I assumed that this was going to be a horror movie. Little did I know that it was a horror movie for the younger audience.

But with that being said, I have to say that it didn't make for a less entertaining movie. The movie was actually enjoyable and had an adequate storyline. Now, keep in mind that for adults the storyline wasn't scary, but I assume for the younger audience there is a sense of spook to be had here.

The pacing of the storyline was good, and there was a nice flow to the progression of the movie, without any real dull moments.

The acting in the movie was good, and they had some nicely talented actors and actresses to perform the various roles and characters. That definitely helped carry the movie.

Had I known that this was a 'scary' movie for the young audience I probably wouldn't have sat down to watch it. But I ended up watching, though my expectations for being in for a horror movie fell short.

All in all, "My Soul to Keep" scores a five out of ten stars from me. It was watchable, and it was entertaining enough for what it turned out to be. "My Soul to Keep" is a movie that would be suitable to put on if you have youngsters in the household for a Halloween movie marathon.

It took me back...

[ridamazhar · 8/10 · 28 October 2019]

Its not a movie that will keep you clinging but all the characters will keep you involved and execution is great. It felt like old horror movies where you feel emotionally invested. I loved it.

Not a bad film, just not a horror film if you're older than about 12!

[beccaboo-99800 · 6/10 · 4 October 2019]

There's nothing wrong with this film, it's relatively well made but really shouldn't be categorised as horror, more a scary story for young children.

Movie SUCKED

[LoverOfFilmsAndMusic · 1/10 · 8 October 2019]

All I watch is horror genre films and this one was lame. The BEST part was the ending. The children were lovable and cute but the sister, UGH! Love the dad, the mom was okay. I can tell the writers and directors put a lot of though into this but it could've been a lot better. It was dragged on with nonsense to be honest. The sister was a complete jerk to her little brother. Sam and Hillary were AWESOME friends.

NOT FOR REAL HORROR ENTHUSIAST

[yadavanurag-11947 · 4/10 · 7 October 2019]

Good direction, good screenplay, good actors

BUT incomplete ending. Strongly Demands a part 2. Infact the ending was so terrible that without a second part , the first part is just the first half.

Boring

[sonekken · 1/10 · 5 October 2019]

Not just boring but one of the most boring movies I've ever seen.

HORIBLE, SAVE YOUR MONEY

[daniellenicole-32090 · 2/10 · 20 October 2019]

This is not a good movie. The acting is bad. The ending is horrible if you have kids you're going to be so pissed off.

CHILDHOOD MONSTERS: LOOK UNDWR THE BED

[babyjaguar · 7/10 · 29 September 2019]

Ahmad's visuals is makes this film great... continues his production work in blending fantasy, horror and the supernatural. MSTK is an exploration in how stories can be impressionable for children, what parents can fabricate to make children what to believe.

This story, written by Ahmad deals with a little boy, Eli played by Parker Smerek. Its soundtrack, editing and sound effects are syperb, no winder that this production has been winning regional and international film festivals!

Terrible.. simply aweful!

[dan_slentz · 2/10 · 6 October 2019]

For under 8, might be scary but also will have them sleeping in mom & dad's bed for a day or two. For over 9, an absolute CRAP horror movie! NO WAY... and I mean "NO WAY" it's a 10 out of 10 (as some reviewers gave it). To them, I ask "WHAT IS a "10 movie if this thing is a ten"??? (Seriously!!) I often see just incredibly ridiculous ratings on crap movies and wonder "okay.. WHO are you related to on this production that you want people to go see this hunk of garbage??" The story sucks. The direction sucks. The child actors are not good at all (which, for young actors, usually means they had a terrible director). This movie is 100% certifiably LAME!! For any real movie lover, this will leave you with one question: Who do I see to get the 1 1/2 hours of my life back??!! If you read the positive reviews comparing it to E.T. & Goonies and you see this movie, PLEASE leave a review that either supports this as being as good as E.T. or Goonies (as one person said).. and the multiple 10 stars out of 10, or do others a favor and tell people what a waste of time this movie is and give it a rating that truly represents is value in entertainment (story, visuals, quality as a "horror movie") etc. IF you really want to see a GREAT horror movie (that you probably haven't seen), check out "Ghost Story" from about 1980. I was shocked at the quality of the story telling! I actually rank that old movie as the BEST "old fashioned horror (BOO!) movie" to this day!

Massive spoiler

[BatsyCharky · 7/10 · 15 April 2020]

The description of the the movie isn't exactly what it is. It's %100 not horror, suspense at most drama fer sure. Regardless, it was entertaining till the end. If I had a selfish, inconsiderate, whorrish daughter, like this one in this movie I'd send her to the streets and ferget she even existed!!! She is the real monster of this movie and I wish she's died.

Horrible

[clouviere · 1/10 · 13 October 2019]

Most ridiculous waist of two hours. Should not even be labeled as a horror movie...

Great story with good acting

[pdxgem-67812 · 8/10 · 30 October 2019]

This is a fantastically written and portrayed story that builds suspense to a shocking climax. Based on the trailer, I was expecting more of a battle between good and evil in the final act; it is to an extent, only not what was expected. The young cast play their parts to perfection providing sympathy and believability to their characters which is rare in today's cookie cutter films that are pushed quickly from production to release with no concern for entertainment value in order to make money as fast as possible. It's obvious that care was taken with this film in order to provide a quality product, rather than just another run of the mill suspense flick. Kudos to the cast and crew!

Both a Family Film and a Horror Film

[Armin_Nikkhah_Shirazi · 7/10 · 3 February 2022]

There are very few movies at the intersection of the horror and family genres which manage to pull it off well. Usually, either the horror aspect is too intense for the kiddies, or the family aspect is too cute for the adults.

But MSTK does pull it off. The English translation of the German tagline is "The Babadook meets Home Alone", and that is a fair summary of the movie. It does successfully walk the the line between the genres the two movies represent.

While it could be argued that the seemingly supernatural events are all in the imagination of our kid protagonist, I found the movie to take a more definitive stand, particularly because of the final scene.

Be that as it may, for much of the movie the events do carry a light and amusing tone. I actually enjoyed it and laughed out loud a few times (as in the introduction, where the kid gives his presentation in the presence of an annoyed-looking teacher), but can see some horror fans loathing this. Where the movie eventually dares to go, however, redeems it as horror film.

In my view, it is the mark of a good horror movie if it can shock you or at least make you feel uncomfortable without resorting to buckets of blood and gore, and here it was the intentional incongruity between the tone of most of the movie and the epilogue which achieved this. I suspect that the relatively low IMDb score (5.1 at this time) is in part because some people might be turned off by just this incongruity, but that would miss the point that this is (also) a horror film.

Beyond that, the polished presentation, effective direction and especially the convincing acting by the child actors all helped make this a good movie.

frustrating

[ferdmalenfant · 2/10 · 7 October 2019]

Nothing happens! this is not a horror by any means, It's a children's movie and not a very good or scary one either.

One time watch, specially for kids

[sandeepkr-13538 · 5/10 · 6 October 2019]

It has good premise but lack of budget and good actors made it little odd and bland. It could be a next babadook but it turned somewhere else.

Made an account just to give this 1 star

[ReelDevo · 1/10 · 12 April 2020]

The scariest part about this entire "film", is that I can't get back the 1 hour and 30 minutes of life that it took from me.