Sole Survivor (1984) User Reviews

Early 80s horror gem.

[Hey_Sweden · 8/10 · 8 August 2013]

Writer / director / editor Thom Eberhardts' feature directing debut is a nicely realized, grim and spooky little shocker worth viewing for horror aficionados hoping to find good lesser known films from decades past. It's got plenty of atmosphere, a never ending feeling of uneasiness, a good spin on "living dead" cinema, and its themes and ideas are interesting. As genre junkies will realize, it's similar in some ways to the more famous "Final Destination", which came along 17 years *later*. Eberhardts' script is often witty and offers good roles to a capable cast.

Star Anita Skinner is impressive enough in the role of plane crash survivor Denise Watson that one may wish we'd seen more of her in films over the years. She displays just the right amount of vulnerability and confusion. Denise was the *only* survivor of this crash, and she tries to resume her normal life, but weird things begin happening. Unspeaking, creepy strangers start to appear to her and she wonders what it all could mean.

Also in the cast are handsome Kurt Johnson as a kindly doctor, Robin Davidson as Denise's spunky neighbour, Caren Larkey as a washed up actress with unwanted psychic abilities, and William Snare as a frustrated coroner. Be on the lookout for foxy B movie actress Brinke Stevens as a player in a strip poker game who takes off her top and Leon (Robinson) as a gang leader.

David F. Anthony composed the eerie music and cinematographer Russell Carpenter, who went on to really big things such as "True Lies" and "Titanic", does a really good job in helping to set the mood.

The movie also educates us some on the subject of "survivor syndrome", wherein people who live through catastrophic accidents expire themselves within 24 months, possibly through a sense of guilt and feeling of unworthiness.

All in all, "Sole Survivor" is one of those films that deserves a wider audience. It's too good to remain obscure.

Eight out of 10.

eerie and atmospheric

[Jonny_Numb · 6/10 · 7 October 2005]

As with other movies that deal with the blurry line between life and death, "Sole Survivor" often lacks cohesion in plot and logic. But the weight of its atmospheric shocks and well-paced suspense is effective–it's a movie that places its concentration on waking-nightmare horror rather than gore. A woman is the lone survivor of an airplane crash, predicted by a washed-up TV actress with psychic tendencies; complications arise when the recently-dead start popping up in the woman's everyday life. Eerie chiller with strong atmosphere and a moody pace draws favorable comparisons to "Carnival of Souls" and "Dead & Buried." Recommended for adventurous viewers with a taste for the offbeat.

Why Don't More People Talk About This Film?

[molemandavid · 9/10 · 7 July 2017]

If slow paced, intelligent horror films along the lines of Let's Scare Jessica to Death or Carnival of Souls are your speed, you'll find a lot to love in Sole Survivor.

Predating Final Destination by nearly 20 years, Sole Survivor tells the story of Denise, a TV producer, who ends up being the sole survivor of a plane crash. Soon after, she starts seeing people following her and, well,...I don't want to spoil anything else.

Sole Survivor is a perfect example of "less is more." Things are never quite clear or explained, which makes the entire film quite mysterious and creepy. Most of the performances are subdued and natural and a large cloud of doom hangs over the entire film. It's impressively creepy, honestly.

If you're a gore hound or looking for cheap jump scares, Sole Survivor might not be your cup of tea, but those who appreciate a nice slow burn will probably love it.

Slow but creepy

[Tikkin · 7/10 · 2 June 2006]

I've been after Sole Survivor for a while now and thanks to ebay, finally own a copy. I was a little disappointed, but still found it very creepy despite the slow pace. The film does a great job of expressing the idea of death stopping at nothing to claim its intended victim. If you liked the plot behind Final Destination, but want to see a more subtle and well made film, Sole Survivor is for you. That's exactly what I wanted, and in a way that's what I got. It's just a shame that Sole Survivor is so slow moving in parts and doesn't pack as much of a punch as it could have. There are some genuinely creepy moments such as the clock with the moving eyes, but overall I think they could have been used more effectively. Some have praised the film for using little gore, however I think that if some of the deaths had been more brutal it would have injected some much needed energy into the film. The ending is excellent and it's at this point that Sole Survivor seems to redeem itself for the slow pace.

Overall, this is a horror/thriller for those able to tolerate a slower pace and a little use of your brain. If you're after a mindless slasher or a gory bloodbath, this is not for you.

Starts with a bang, ends with a whimper

[Groverdox · 5/10 · 3 November 2017]

"Sole Survivor" is a horror movie which opens with a palpable sense of dread and some effective moments but squanders them all in a final act which reveals it has no idea what to do with the points it's earnt.

The plot is about a plain looking woman who is the titular "sole survivor" of an airplane crash. She appears to suffer hallucinations of those who died in the crash following her around.

But are they hallucinations or are they... REAL?! You probably won't care. I know I didn't.

The spectres of the deceased, who look like extras wandered over from whatever zombie movie George Romero was shooting that year, are at first spooky but soon become boring since they mostly just stand there. The movie doesn't really develop the idea it starts with, until a rushed conclusion at the end which is entirely unsatisfying.

Excellent low budget thriller

[go2dean · 8/10 · 26 July 2004]

This film was very nicely done despite it's budget. The director thoroughly developed each scene so that you knew exactly what was going on.

I use to watch this film along side of the classic "Carnival Of Souls" with Candice Hillagoss. The difference between the two was that in carnival the lead character was half dead, but in this film the dead were hell bent making the lead character very dead.

Cudos to Leon in his prelude role to Madonna's "Like A Prayer" video. You really don't know who he is until he opens his mouth. This is where you hear him sounding like his "5 Heartbeats" character JT.

This is a must see for all true horror fans, and those who still enjoy the late Saturday night "fright night" features.

8 out of 10 hands down.

Slow paced and boring...

[paul_haakonsen · 3/10 · 25 December 2023]

I had never actually heard, much less seen, the 1984 thriller "Sole Survivor" from writer and director Thom Eberhardt, prior to sitting down and watching it here in 2023. I happened to stumble upon the movie by random luck, and of course opted to sit down and watch it.

The narrative in "Sole Survivor" was a bit of a struggle to sit through, because it is somewhat slow paced, monotonous and there wasn't really enough of anything overly interesting happening throughout the narrative to keep me adequately entertained. I am sure that the concept idea for "Sole Survivor", from Thom Eberhardt, was good, but the transition from script to screen just wasn't impressive.

Now, I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in "Sole Survivor", and that is something I do enjoy when I watch movies. And it should be noted that the acting performances in this 1984 thriller was actually adequate enough.

Sure, I've seen worse horror and thrillers from the mid-1980s, but this movie just wasn't memorable or outstanding. I will say that it wasn't a bad movie, but it was just too uneventful to be properly entertaining.

The production value in the movie was good, and that definitely helped to keep an otherwise stale narrative afloat, and making it somewhat bearable to sit through the movie.

My rating of "Sole Survivor" lands on a generous three out of ten stars. This movie just didn't tickle me the right way, and thus I didn't find it particularly entertaining.

Genuinely Scary Low Budget Shocker

[marcusgrant-86630 · 9/10 · 14 September 2018]

Some friends of mine had been raving about this one and it had just been released on Blu-Ray, so I figured I'd give it a try and I'm really glad that I did. Sole Survivor packs a wallop.

The story centers around Denise, the sole survivor of a freak plane crash, who starts seeing strange, dead-eyed people stalking her every move. In many ways, one could say this is a zombie movie, but that'd be too simple. Yes, these "zombies" are corpses being used by "death" to settle the score and kill Denise once and for all since someone made a mistake and left her alive.

There are elements of Carnival of Souls, Final Destination, and the recent It Follows, but Sole Survivor is very much its own beast and it's all the better for it. Some might not like the very dreary, downbeat storytelling Sole Survivor dabbles in, but there's so much suspense, atmosphere, and scares that I have a hard time believing that any serious horror fan couldn't find something to like in this movie.

It must also be mentioned that leading actress, Anita Skinner, is a dead ringer for Chloe Sevingy.

Before Flight 180, there was... Sole Survivor.*

[BA_Harrison · 8/10 · 16 July 2020]

The subject of many inquiring posts on IMDb's old 'I Need To Know' message board, Sole Survivor might seem eerily familiar to fans of Final Destination (2000): the creators of that film definitely had this spooky '80s chiller in mind while writing their script.

Sole Survivor stars Anita Skinner as TV station worker Denise Watson, who is the only survivor of a plane crash, the disaster predicted by psychic actress Karla Davis (Caren L. Larkey). Concerned doctor Brian Richardson (Kurt Johnson) warns Denise that she might suffer from 'survivor's syndrome', a feeling of guilt for having been the only person to leave the crash site alive, but what she actually experiences in the following days is far worse: the dead come to life and try to kill her. Could it be that Denise was supposed to die in the crash, and now 'death' is trying to catch her?

Final Destination's major selling point was its inventive and very gory death scenes; the horror of Sole Survivor is more subtle (think Carnival of Souls), writer /director Thom Eberhardt (who would also give us the cult sci-fi/horror Night of the Comet) building a palpable sense of dread, from the disturbing sight of Denise still seated in her plane seat, surrounded by mangled bodies, to the menacing figures lurking in the shadows, to the 'zombies' who attack those who get in their way. Skinner makes for a very likeable protagonist, which ensures that her plight, and of those around her, is genuinely unsettling, and ultimately shocking.

8/10. I could have done without the silly scene in the morgue at the end (which makes no sense, since the coroner hadn't escaped death as far as we know), but I did appreciate seeing scream queen Brinke Stevens as strip-poker participant Jennifer (she loses, and you know what that means!).

*And before Sole Survivor, there was The Survivor (1981), starring Robert Powell, which sounds similar - but I've not seen that one yet.

Cheating death.

[HumanoidOfFlesh · 8/10 · 12 January 2010]

Somewhat reminiscent to the cult favourite "Carnival of Souls" and an obvious influence of "Final Destination" series "Sole Survivor" is a creepy little shocker.Anita Skinner plays Denise Dalton,a television commercial producer who is the only survivor of a tragic airplane crash.She starts seeing threatening ghostly figures,who enjoy killing people.Denise is also confronted by a has-been actress who has visions of terrible things happening to Denise.Esoteric chiller with some great scares and a bit of nudity.The pace is sluggish,but the script is fresh and original and the editing is fine."Sole Survivor" is an eerie horror flick with enough subtle scares to satisfy horror fans.8 out of 10.

Deserves more than what it's compared to

[daddyisawolfman · 10/10 · 23 May 2018]

This is a perfectly directed, well written, well acted masterpiece of a horror movie. Whether or not Final Destination or It Follows lifted from it doesn't even matter. The "death is coming to collect a debt" plot was bound to pop up in someone's head again at some point. What really makes a difference is the way this whole thing comes together.

If you're allergic to the stylistic tendencies of 80's horror cinema or 80's cinema in general, please steer clear. This is that decade done to perfection.

If you're like me, you will be floored and wonder why the world has kept this a secret for so damn long.

The trailers were very misleading for this movie.

[Aaron1375 · 3/10 · 2 July 2009]

If there is one thing I can not stand it is when a movie pretends to be something it is not on its movie poster, on the back of the box, or in the case of this movie the trailer itself. I would have possibly given the movie a higher score if not for the blatant lies the trailer showed when this movie first came to the theaters. I still remember the trailers as a kid and one of them showed a demon like hand coming out of a fog, a scene that does not materialize in the movie at all thank you very much. The only demon comes rather early in the movie in the form of a sort of echo on the radar screen. This movie in the end is more of a bad version of the classic low budget horror film "Carnival of Souls", granted this one is a low budget movie as well. The story has the survivor of a plane crash feeling guilty as she was in fact the only survivor. Well it is not to long that she seems to be seeing dead people, and they seem to be wanting her dead. So yes you can see the similarities to "Carnival of Souls" just from that line. However, for the most part you are not going to see much going on the movie just needs more to it, or maybe if they had advertised this movie for what it was instead of trying to make it out to be some cool horror movie I could have enjoyed it better.

An overlooked gem

[acidburn-10 · 10/10 · 22 May 2021]

A shame that this have fallen under the radar for not only me, but for a lot of horror fans, as this is an absolute outstanding classic. This movie is a fantastically haunting and extremely atmospheric with a talented cast of relatable characters, a cool supernaturally charged premise & a rich colour palette that beautifully crafts this world with eerie & moody set pieces, unsettling moments & tension filled death scenes.

The movie follows a young woman named Denise Watson (Anita Skinner) whose the soul survivor of a devasting plane crash, but after trying to pick up the pieces of her life & move on, she later realizes that death itself feels cheated & kills off everyone closest to her, before finally coming for her.

Anita Skinner takes on the role of Denise with such charm & ease, she does a remarkable job in pulling us into this world of cheated death and lurking fears, she's genuine & honest in her role. The movie has a simple yet effective touch with its cool atmosphere & penchant for building up the tension & scares, as well as being beautifully shot & altogether haunting as it ramps up the seriousness of the situation. While it may be light on the blood & gore, but the deaths comes across more natural than your average horror flick, say a certain franchise that may or may not have stolen this idea.

Overall, 'Sole Survivor' is a great movie, highly recommend for all horror fans & has a surprising heart and care to this rather sadistic tale. So go check this out now.

A lot of promise ends up being a decent eighties thriller

[The_Void · 5/10 · 19 July 2006]

Sole Survivor features a plot that begins a lot like James Herbert's classic book 'The Survivor', and turns into something much more like the modern thriller 'Final Destination'. The idea behind the film is always going to be interesting, as death is the ultimate unknown and stories about the other-worldly forces that govern the afterlife are always bound to be intriguing; but due to this film's low budget and generally slow plot, what could have been a great thriller is left only as an interesting attempt at a good thriller. There were a lot of low budget horror films made during the eighties, many of which are now classics - but this film feels more like a seventies movie, and that's not a good thing as the paltry acting and low quality feel don't bode well with the ambitious plot line. The story follows a woman that is the only survivor of a plane crash. She is haunted by a feeling that her doctor describes as 'sole survivor syndrome', but it turns out that she actually should have died in the crash; and the powers that be have sent their minions to get rid of her.

The film gets off to a strong start, and writer-director Thom Eberhardt seems keen to explore all the implications of the central idea. However, it soon goes downhill as the film never really gets going, and most of the ideas don't end up being fully explored, which is a shame. The film does benefit from a continually creepy atmosphere, which bodes well with the central plot in that it makes the finished piece more horrifying. It's always obvious that the film has been made on a shoestring, however, and the director never really makes any attempt to mask this, which is disappointing. The acting isn't exactly brilliant, but it's one of the better things about the piece, and Anita Skinner does well at heading a cast of other unknowns. Eberhardt's script is good in that it manages to give credence to its characters as well, which ends up making the film more credible as we are given a reason to care about the plight of the lead character. Overall, Sole Survivor isn't essentially a 'bad' film; but it is extremely disappointing in that it could have been a lot better.

A Slow and uninteresting watch.

[paulclaassen · 3/10 · 7 August 2023]

'Sole Survivor' is said to be 'The Final Destination' of the 80's. If that's so, then thank goodness 'The Final Destination' came along! 'Sole Survivor' looks much older than 1984, and is slow and tedious like many of the 70's horror movies.

Anita Skinner stars as Denise, the sole survivor of a plane crash. (By the way, the crash is never shown. We only see fragments of it during back flashes and memories). Soon after being released from hospital, she starts seeing strange things - shadows at first. These weird sightings intensify as the film develops.

Denise is a TV commercial producer. For a sole survivor, I found her to have a bit of an arrogant attitude, as if she believes she deserved to have been the only survivor. I didn't find her a very likeable character. The obligatory love interest comes in the form of her doctor, Brian (Kurt Johnson) with whom she becomes romantically involved.

A has-been actress, Carla, warns Denise of visions she's having, and that death would surely come for her (Denise), having survived the plane crash. Maybe 'Sole Survivor' was scary back in the day, but I found it way too slow and uninteresting. Many of the 80's horror films are still scary today, but unfortunately I can't say the same for 'Sole Survivor'. If this is being compared to 'The Final Destination', then I'd much rather watch the latter, thank you!

'Sole Survivor' has such a confusing ending. And if you must know, it's not a satisfactory ending. Yawn, thank goodness this is over.

Stewardess, what's the in-flight movie?

[Coventry · 6/10 · 14 May 2007]

Wouldn't this be the ideal movie to show during a 12 hours flight over the Pacific Ocean? It doesn't show an actual plane crashing, but it would make clear to all the passengers that, in case of a crash, none of them is likely to walk out of there alive. And even if you do come out of a plane crash unharmed, your life is still ruined and you're guaranteed to die only a short while later. "Sole Survivor" is a truly obscure and little seen 80's movie that benefices from a forlorn and genuinely creepy atmosphere, but it eventually lacks the necessary shocking-power to be referred to as a legitimate hidden gem of horror. The basic premise holds a lot of horrific potential and it's definitely ahead of its time, but the elaboration of the script is too slow-paced and there's a severe shortage of action and/or gruesome images. With a slight bit of imagination and skepticism, you could state that M. Night Shyamalan 'borrowed' fundamental key elements from "Sole Survivor" before scripting his TWO hugely successful blockbuster hits "Unbreakable" and "The Sixth Sense". How come? Denise Watson, the female lead character here, mysteriously survived a disastrous plane crash without a single scratch AND it doesn't take too long before she sees dead people. Maybe the creators of the popular franchise "Final Destination" ripped of the storyline of "Sole Survivor" as well and, on the other hand, one could state that this film is simply a low-budgeted imitation of the classic black & white milestone "Carnival of Souls" and the unsettling James Herbert novel "The Survivor". Ah what the heck, cinema is just one giant copying-ideas business anyway. The most important thing is that Thom Eberhardt's "Sole Survivor" is a generally solid chiller and admirers of atmosphere-driven terror tales won't regret watching it. Shortly after the crash, the aforementioned character Denise has visions in which recently deceased people uncannily stare at her. Her boyfriend/doctor thinks she suffers from the feared Survivor's Syndrome (meaning she feels guilty for being alive while all her fellow passengers died) but according to a psychic acquaintance, Death itself is warning Denise that they haven't forgotten about her. Eberhardt builds up a creepy and continuously ominous atmosphere and there are several moments of nail-biting suspense, like when Denise encounters the little girl in the hospital's basement. Unfortunately, the script is too often confusing and many of the dialogs are difficult to understand because the characters talk quietly and with awkward accents. If some distribution company ever decides to release "Sole Survivor" on DVD, I hope they'll provide optional English subtitles. The acting performances are adequate, the direction is moody & stylish and the climax leaves open a lot of room for discussion. Overall recommended, just don't expect to see a dazzling and jaw-dropping masterpiece.

Almost incoherent but atmospheric .........

[merklekranz · 5/10 · 10 June 2012]

Almost incoherent but atmospheric, would best describe "Sole Survivor". The film opens effectively creepy with the lone survivor of a horrific but unseen plane crash, having an ever present feeling that she is in danger. She befriends and eventually becomes involved with an interning physician, who slowly uncovers a theory of the walking dead seeking the survivor who cheated death. The middle portion of this movie is extremely slow, muddled, and uninteresting, with flashes in time, unexplained characters, and general confusion. There is also a totally gratuitous nude scene involving strip poker. The film almost redeems itself with an ending that is downbeat yet effective. - MERK

Survivor Guilt...

[azathothpwiggins · 15 July 2020]

SOLE SURVIVOR stars Anita Skinner as Denise Watson, who becomes the title character after her involvement in a catastrophic plane crash. Later, everything appears to get back to normal, until Denise begins to encounter what appear to be walking corpses. Has she lost her mind, or have the dead returned for some specific reason?

This movie captures the sense of creeping dread like few others have. Far superior to the Aussie original (THE SURVIVOR), and the obvious progenitor of James Wong's FINAL DESTINATION, this movie is delightfully cold and bleak throughout its running time. It saves its darkest moments for the chilling final act. Don't let this one slip by...

* *1/2 out of 4.

[brandonsites1981 · 15 August 2002]

Lone survivor (Anita Skinner) of a plane crash finds herself feeling depressed and unworthy of living. Then she begins to notice dead people lurking about. At first they just stalk her, but soon they are trying to kill her since she was not supposed to survive the crash. Creepy, cold, original thriller is a bit too slow, but still entertaining.

Rated R; Sexual Situations, Nudity, and Graphic Violence.

Scary Movie

[bubblewench · 8/10 · 4 February 2005]

I haven't seen this movie in almost 20 years, but I remember being really freaked out by it. It was pretty creepy. I must see it again. I will find it and watch it!!

If you like movies that deal with supernatural topics, this is a decent one to watch. If you fly a lot, this is a scary one to watch. Basically this one woman is the sole survivor of a plane crash and death and the dead (not the Grateful) are trying to let her know she should have died. It's amazing to everyone that hears about it or knows her that she lived, it's a big deal and how they portray the attempts to inform her of what should have been her death are pretty cool for a movie made pre computers and super duper special effects.

pretty good

[movieman_kev · 6/10 · 22 April 2008]

Denise Watson (Anita Skinner) is a TV reporter who's the lone survivor of an airplane crash, thing is she wasn't supposed to. Now with dead people after her and cryptic warnings from her actress friend (whom happens to be a psychic), she's getting more and more unsettled. I enjoyed this little film, it's slow-moving and low key, but at the same time has an effectively unnerving atmosphere and pretty cool ending.

Eye Candy: Scream queen Brinke Stevens gets topless and Anita Skinner shows her left boob briefly

My Grade: B-

Deep red DVD Extras: An intro by producer/actress Caren Larkey; Commentary with Larkey, executive producer Sal Romeo, film historian Jeff McKay, and director Jeff Burr; 8 & a half minute Interview with Larkey and Romeo; theatrical trailer; and trailers for "the Unseen", "the Farmer", "the Dead pit", "the Silent Scream", & "Human experiments"

SOLE SURVIVOR STAR DIES SHORTLY AFTER FILM RELEASED

[anthonyheartache · 8/10 · 1 May 2020]

Young Kurt Johnson, who stars in Sole Survivor 1984, died shortly after the film's release. Rather creepy. I was an acquaintance of Kurt's. He was only 33 at the time of his death.

Prepare for your 'Final Destination'....

[floweracres · 7/10 · 2 February 2019]

A fun, older horror movie that I truly enjoyed watching! Well done... no complaints. Sadly, it is nearly impossible to find. If you are able to locate it - enjoy! The sole survivor of a airline crash cheats death and finds herself haunted by fellow passengers who were not so fortunate.

Great atmosphere, charming characters, and tight pacing

[Blazehgehg · 8/10 · 12 October 2022]

A woman is the only person to survive a plane crash and finds herself on the run from the Grim Reaper itself in a world that doesn't believe she's in danger.

It sounds like "Final Destination", but comes off as a blend of "Carnival of Souls" meets "It Follows". Less Hollywood action schlock, more creeping suspense.

The tone of this movie is great. I appreciate how oppressive it is -- our main character, Denise, tries to be upbeat about the fact she was lucky enough to live through a deadly wreck and come out without a scratch on her, but the spooks gradually wear her down. That progression for her character is the heart of this movie, especially for how personable she is at the start.

Soundtrack's great, too. If you like 80's horror soundtracks, this one's got all the strings and synth you come to expect.

And all of it just under 90 minutes. Nothing but respect for a movie that's good, creepy, and this tight.

Crash

[sol- · 6/10 · 19 December 2016]

Annoyed by all the attention thrown her way, the sole survivor of a horrific plane crash tries to get on with her life, however, it appears that Death still has a plan to take her in this intriguing horror thriller. The film's best asset is the dialogue with several fascinating notions tossed around as "survivor's syndrome", referring to guilt often experienced by sole survivors, and curious statistics, such as the majority of sole survivors dying within 24 months of their accident, often as a result of carelessness or subconsciously placing themselves in dangerous situations. The protagonist also offers an interesting tale of a dress that she was not charged for, commenting that she experienced similar elation upon surviving the crash, before then remarking "they eventually find" any mistake. 'Sole Survivor' is not, however, the psychological horror film that one might expect from such intelligent dialogue. There is never any doubt that it is not in her mind and that there are really forces out to get her. Also, creepy as the blankly staring zombies are, their lack of urgency in getting her never quite rings true. The plot is further drawn out with an extraneous strip poker game that only seems to exist to meet a nudity quota and most perhaps disappointing of all, both the lead actress and her boyfriend are bland. This is, however, a film to watch for its small delights: an ominous elevator ride, a foreboding bug-eyed clock, a young girl zombie, etc. The premise is also highly original and undeniably thought-provoking depending on how much one believes in chance, fate and coincidence.