Unearthing the Gothic is a monthly column where we explore the vast and exciting world of gothic horror media as a way to exhume it from the margins of conversation and preserve its importance to the genre.
Axelle Carolyn’s lush direction and understanding of the gothic is palpable in the eighth episode of THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR. The episode “The Romance of Certain Old Clothes” is a mesmerizing and emotional tour de force that engrosses the viewer in the life and eventual death of the main antagonist of the series. The episode is painted in heartrending strokes of gray and is an emotional feat. It should be no surprise that, prior to her turn in the director’s chair for the series, she directed her own gothic horror film titled SOULMATE.
SOULMATE’s premise and subject matter is serious, and Carolyn treats it with the gravity that it deserves. The film opens with attempted suicide and from there on takes an unrelenting look at grief, as well as healing. SOULMATE follows musician Audrey (Anna Walton) in the wake of her husband’s death. Wracked with grief and drowning in her own trauma she attempts suicide. Thankfully, Audrey’s sister intervenes, and she survives. Audrey makes an attempt to recover on her own terms by renting a cottage in the secluded Welsh countryside. During her stay in the cottage, she meets the ghost of Douglas (Tom Wisdom), a man who committed suicide thirty years ago.
The slow burn nature of the story might be off-putting for those who crave horror that is faster paced, but SOULMATE’s character driven narrative is deliciously satisfying and is a study in haunting minimalism. Basically, Carolyn gives the viewer a masterclass on how to make gothic horror on a smaller scale and a lower budget while updating the gothic for the contemporary audience. While the film is not a period piece, it is no less gothic. The film is dripping with gothic conventions, such as existentialist grief, forbidden romance, deep dark secrets, affecting settings, and emotional force.
The gothic often turns its eye inward, looking at the emotions to help create its unique horror, and SOULMATE is no different. Audrey’s palpable pain is what drives the emotional core of the film. Death comes for everything, even those that we love most. There are times when we are the ones left behind after the undiscerning fell swoop of death. Focusing on your own survival can be trying during situations like this. Audrey is a character that is delineated in the most relatable way. Death has displaced her, and she is trying to live despite it.
Carolyn uses the gothic as a way to turn the story in the direction of serious topics such as toxic relationships. The gothic is no stranger to volatile tales of romance. What seems beautiful and decadent can easily turn sour and thus decay to the detriment of our beloved protagonists. Love is not tantamount to possession, but try telling that to a ghost who is feeding off your very pain. Audrey’s relationship with Douglas becomes multifaceted. What starts as a strange and charming love story ends in abject horror. Both Audrey and Douglas are troubled souls, but Douglas remains stagnant while Audrey continues to blossom and evolve. Douglas is stuck in the same emotionally stunted and devastated state that he was in at the time of his death. He will not be able to overcome it because he lacks the ability to as he’s dead. Though Audrey’s pain may never fully go away, she’ll gain the tools to manage it. Audrey’s natural healing process is at odds with Douglas’s static nature. This point pushes them toward a breathless ending that leaves just enough loose ends to gnaw at the viewer’s mind and make an intrepid creative declaration.
Carolyn steadily builds tension, and the viewer ultimately spends the film waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop. Even when Audrey and Douglas’s tentative romance is simmering, there’s a sense of dread. The atmospheric uneasiness seeps in and permeates the film in a way that is darkly beautiful. It revels in the slow build in a way that would make the Bronte sisters proud. The film’s setting and supporting characters — the small town, the cottage, the spooked locals — add to the delicious gothic atmosphere. Secrets abound, even when the audience thinks they have uncovered all the facets of the tale. It’s all steeped in a long tradition of foggy locales and unsettled ghosts. These elements make the film a love letter to the past and to good old fashioned gothic storytelling. In fact, this film would fit in with the black and white gothic horror films of years gone by.
Admirably in the midst of her craft, Carolyn isn’t trying to pander to her audience. She’s true to her vision and doesn’t compromise it at any turn in the story. It’s refreshing to see a film made in a bold way that doesn’t rely on audience approval, gothic in the modern day almost has to be in that way. The creator has to be true to the story and the characters and worry about the audience later. Carolyn excels confidently in making something that is both its own unique commentary on what the genre would be like through a modern lens while paying homage to the conventions that make it intriguing and mystifying. It’s a delicate balancing act, but the payoff is extremely sweet for the viewer.
With directors and storytellers like Axelle Carolyn, it’s obvious that gothic horror is alive and well. It’s a film that allows itself to be unrepentantly gothic and showcases exactly why Carolyn was a perfect addition to the slate of directors for THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR. However, SOULMATE still remains a woefully underseen horror film, but it stands as an exceptional testament to Carolyn’s sheer talent. It’s all too easy for these genre gems to slip into obscurity, but with Carolyn’s star rightfully rising, it’s a great time to revisit SOULMATE.
If you’re partial to gothic horror or just love an old fashioned ghost story, SOULMATE is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime Video in the United States.
Tags: Anna Walton, Axelle Carolyn, Gothic, Gothic Horror, Haunting of Bly Manor, Mike Flanagan, Soulmate, Tom Wisdom, Unearthing the Gothic
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