Soul Catcher

The black colour for the title of the short-film-Soul catcher has connotations of evil, death, grief, and fear. The name Soul catcher is an apt choice considering the genre of the cinematic piece is Horror/Thriller. The inclusion of the white colour and the dream catcher creates the much-needed contrast so that the director Jay Jay Jegathesan along with the writers Simon Heggins and Yuxiao Wang get help with establishing the character of the protagonist Brock Aloysius Chopra (Jay Jay Jegathesan).

The plot of the short film revolves around a charming man named Brock Aloysius Chopra who wants to discover the path to the soul. He takes the audience on an adventure that the viewers can find familiar, and relatable, echoing the memories yet utterly unknown.

Soul Catcher is one room drama and the narrative is designed from the point of view of the central character Brocky. The cinematographer Jenina David uses the close-up shot of the dream catcher which signifies that it is an important element for the storyline to progress. The extreme close up shot of Chopra helps the viewers to delve into his personality and slowly discover his fearful side of him. The hair, makeup and costume were given to the main lead to maintain the thrill up until the climax of the movie. The filmmaking technique utilized by Jay Jay Jegathesan increases the involvement of the audience with the film. The cinematic piece takes the format of a one-to-one interview to allow Brock to be expressive and also Jegathan has the room to improvise his acting skills so that the finished product is delivered to the audience beautifully.

In terms of performance, Jay Jay Jegathan plays the role of Brock Aloysius Chopra. The monologue said by the actor is superbly done with the addition of voice modulation where required. The facial expressions by Jegathan instill a sense of fear and get the audience excited to know more about this mysterious character.

The short film highlights the afterlife, the journey of a soul and the need for a soul catcher to give freedom to those who are struggling with their lives. The film showcases that everybody possesses various shades of their personality within them and it depends on the individual to channel the more suitable option according to the situation in life. The audience should learn from this film and should be aware of such unsocial characters like Brocky who would prove to be harmful to everyone around him.

Brock Aloysius Chopra is a very well-written character and it has various shades and depth which makes it enjoyable from the analysis point of view. I am happy that the makers are experimenting with such topics. It becomes crucial to probe into the psychological aspect of the subject matter. Soul catcher reminds the viewers that people like Brocky can be a part of society making it difficult to identify them so one needs to be extra vigilant and careful about the same.