DON’T TELL A SOUL

 

Jeri Jacquin

If you are ready for the unexpected then let writer/director Alex McAulay and Saban Films comes a story that brings twists in DON’T TELL A SOUL.

Young Joey (Jack Grazer) and older brother Matt (Fionn Whitehead) are living a bare existence while taking care of their seriously ill mother Carol (Mena Survari). Making it day by day, they watch her try and take care of them, but Matt feels more and more it is his responsibility.

One day Matt tells Joey that there is money to be had in a house that is being fumigated. Convincing Joey that he needs to be the one to go in while Matt stands vigil, they did not expect to see security guard Hamby (Rainn Wilson). After a chase through the woods, Hamby ends up in well.

Matt is thrilled about it, but Joey cannot seem to shake the fact that they are responsible for the security guard. Sneaking away without telling his mother or Matt, Joey learns about Hamby’s life but still do not call for help.

Big brother finds out and the threat is made and to top it off, Joey and Carol discover something even more frightening than the threats!

Grazer as Joey is a young man dealing with a great deal. From a very ill mother to a bully brother and everything in between. Along comes Hamby, and Joey listens to everything he says because of the need to have someone, anyone hear him. Grazer’s character is complex and throughout the film finds his voice, but in a frightening way.

Whitehead as Matt is a young man who is lashing out about the loss of his father and the illness of his mother. Those pressures bring out the worst in him to the point of Joey being absolutely frightened by his brother. Whitehead does give us the fright making us wonder who is the monster?

Suvari as Carol is a woman dealing with the death of a husband and counting on her sons to help her as much as they can. Trying to keep the boys together is hard to do under normal circumstances but when the downward spiral of health is added, Suvari’s character just can not seem to get a handle on it all.

Wilson as Hamby is absolutely fantastic and playing against Grazer’s Joey, it is a combination well worth diving into a well for. Trying to convince the boys to get help, it is only Joey that seems to have a conscious about it all. Hamby does his best to play on that fact if only to get out of the well, he turns on and off his character like a light switch and I loved it.

Saban Films was launched in 2014 and has built an impressive slate of high-quality feature films distributed with partner Lionsgate. Focusing on talent-driven films, the company looks at projects in all stages of production to be released across multiple platforms. Films such as SISTER OF THE GROOM, FATMAN and BREACH are part of the wonderful Saban slate, and more information can be found at www.sabanfilms.com.

DON’T TELL A SOUL is a thriller that gives the viewer just about everything they would want. Twists and turns are swift and unexpected within a story that is truly enjoyable and thrilling from start to finish.

It is a complex tale about brothers, suffering, a sick parent, trauma and how all of that leads to the easy influence of someone who seems truly interested but in who and what? Each of these issues gets its due and wrapped up in the complexities of human nature under stress.

Writer McAulay makes his way through the issues keeping the cast small enough and the cinematography grey enough to keep the yarn going to its conclusion. Giving Wilson the chance to be as grungy as possible and Grazer caught in his own hell, DON’T TELL A SOUL is a story wrapped in a story wrapped in an ending you will not see coming.

In the end – some secrets should stay buried!