All Souls (2023) – Movie Review/Summary

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Thanks to cops wanting to get a local dealer by any means necessary, a young mother finds herself becoming an unwilling CI.

Film Summary

 

River is a young woman, no more than 19 or 20, with her daughter Jade around 3. River is a low-level drug dealer to make ends meet, and that makes her the perfect target for the cops. They want someone higher up on the food chain, Silas, with whom River has history.

Naturally, she doesn’t want to be involved, wear a wire, or snitch, but throughout the movie, Jade is used against her to make her comply. But you can only push a person so far before they decide to start taking major risks.

Character Descriptions

Please Note: This character guide is not an exhaustive list of every cast member.

River

River is a young woman between 19 and 20 who is a low-level drug dealer who makes ends meet selling at colleges. However, with enough of a reputation to get pointed out by an acquaintance, she finds herself dragged into a situation where she has to help cops take down a local, low-mid-level dealer.

• The actor is also known for their role in “Scream,” “Liza, Liza, Skies are Grey,” “Better Things: Season 5.”

Jade

Jade, River’s daughter, likes to burp, paint her face, and play with her cars.

Silas

Silas is a local dealer, if not a distributor, separated from the street and living on a compound. It isn’t clear what he sells beyond Molly, coke, and, of course, weed, but he has done enough to draw attention to himself and for the cops to know his name.

Review

Our Rating: Positive (Worth Seeing)

Highlights

It Stays Small

For many films with a confidential informant (CI), it can feel like they are sending that CI into this world in which they have no place. Whether it is some kid sent to a Miami drug cartel, a woman expected to meet with a kingpin, you name it, and it seems far-fetched to imagine that person getting past the door.

Thankfully, “All Souls” creates a valid reason for River to get close to Silas, and it acknowledges that she is small time to the point that one condition is the sole reason she gets an audience. And from there, you get the ceiling.

There aren’t moments that make River seem like she has done basic training and can shoot like she is a top marksman. She is just a young mom in full momma bear mode, and with that adrenaline pumping, she is able and willing to do whatever it takes, even if that means getting blood on her hands if not outright murder.

Jade and River’s Relationship

It isn’t mentioned where River’s family is. However, she is all Jade has, and a part of me appreciates that, considering how River lives, Jade isn’t some naïve and innocent kid. She knows curse words, might still be young enough to get scared by the unknown, yet is old enough to adapt easily to chaos. But, no matter what, her mom is her safe space.

It might be unrealistic for those who aren’t aware of mother/child dynamics like that, but their relationship was the most real thing to me, and I love that they didn’t lean too heavily on it. It was part of River’s drive and not a crutch to make you care about all that was going on.

On The Fence

They Don’t Build Up Silas That Well

I don’t know about you, but I feel that if two cops are going to exploit a girl who is, at max, 20, they need to have a good reason to. Yes, America has this war on drugs that funnels a lot of money to police departments, but what is it about Silas that makes him worth taking advantage of someone?

From what we see, taking him down isn’t going to really shake the local distribution network. He isn’t doing human trafficking; he may have a compound, but with being set up to take 10K, he offers Molly. So, what made Silas so special is something I was left wondering. I feel it should have been explicit as to why the two officers were asking around and eventually settled on using River to get this man.

Who Is This For?

Those who love stories of revenge and female underdogs, especially mothers, protecting their children despite the power dynamics of the situations they find themselves in.

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Discussion Items

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1. What’s your favorite movie when a parent is trying to rescue their kid?

General Information

Director(s)	Emmanuelle Pickett
Screenplay By	Anthony Ragnone
Based On Work By	N/A
Date Released	December 8, 2023
How To Watch	Video On Demand
Genre(s)	Action Crime Drama Thriller
Film Length	88 Minutes
Content Rating	Rated R
Noted Characters and Cast
River	Mikey Madison
Jade	Mia Love Disnard
Silas	Gerald Gillum

Content Rating Explanation

• Dialog: Cursing Throughout, But Not Excessive
• Violence: Gun Violence, Knife Violence, and Depiction of Blood
• Sexual Content: Reference To Older Man Having Sex With A Minor
• Miscellaneous: Drinking, Smoking, Drug Use and Depiction