A devastating event reshapes the experiences of four college students in Chicago after one of them passes away. “Soul Survivors” (2001) presents a somber mystery/drama that incorporates elements of horror and thriller, sharing a similar atmosphere and location with “Urban Legend” (1998), though lacking the slasher aspects. It also evokes comparisons to “An American Werewolf in Paris” (1997), aside from the supernatural creatures. The film's production quality is quite good considering the genre and time period, but I didn’t find Melissa Sagemiller very engaging as the lead character. Wes Bentley, Casey Affleck, Eliza Dushku, and Angela Featherstone, however, all prove to be captivating performers. The narrative itself isn’t entirely gripping, even though the final scenes are both revealing and emotionally powerful. The film explores themes of life and death, reminding me of an obscure movie from the early sixties—a title I can't mention so as not to spoil anything. While “Soul Survivors” draws inspiration from that earlier work, it distinguishes itself enough to be worthwhile on its own. Even if you’re aware of some shared plot points with that film, it shouldn’t detract from your enjoyment. The movie has a running time of 1 hour and 24 minutes and was filmed in the Chicago region, including Evanston and Northwestern University. GRADE: C

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