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Parents' Guide to

6 Souls

By Jeffrey M. Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Muddled horror tale mixes scares, troubling themes.

Movie R 2013 112 minutes
6 Souls Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 1 parent review

TLn
TLn Adult
December 27, 2018
age 12+

6 Souls

This is a good movie. More suspense than horror. The story is original and you can't guess the outcome. The actor opposites Julianne Moore does a better than average job.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Forensic psychiatrist Cara Harding (Julianne Moore) gets a call from her psychiatrist father (Jeffrey DeMunn) asking her to take a look at one of his patients, a man with a multiple personality disorder (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). After spending some time with the man -- who goes by several names -- she starts to realize that some of his personalities are real-life murder victims ... and that the man knows a little too much about them. Could he have witnessed a murder as a child, or is something far more sinister going on? Meanwhile, several people in Cara's life, including her daughter (Brooklynn Proulx), seem to have developed terrible coughs and strange sores on their backs. Can she solve the mystery before it's too late?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

If not for the presence of the extraordinary Moore, this film wouldn't be worthy of any attention at all. Swedish filmmakers Bjorn Stein and Mans Marlind, who made the interesting Storm in their home country, came to Hollywood to make 6 SOULS (originally called Shelter). The confusing, lackluster result languished so long on the shelf that their next movie, the equally lackluster Underworld: Awakening opened in theaters first. 6 Souls is a perfect example of too little, too late.

6 Souls does start out with an interesting idea: the man with a multiple personality disorder consisting of murder victims. But the payoff for this is so muddled and sluggish that it just lands with an uninspiring thud. The filmmakers can't seem to figure out how and when to dole out information to keep the mystery afloat, and even the characters get lost in the indecision. It's a rare flop for Moore; hopefully it won't have lasting impact.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about 6 Souls' violence. Is it necessary to the story that the young girl be put in peril? Could the same story have been told another way?

  • How scary is the movie? What makes it a horror movie, as opposed to a thriller?

  • Does the movie encourage faith, spirituality, or religion? Why or why not?

  • Is Cara a role model? Do you think she's intended to be?

Movie Details

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