Carnival of Souls

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Carnival of Souls

PG

1962

1h 20m

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

67 Reviews

73%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Mary Henry ends up the sole survivor of a fatal car accident through mysterious circumstances. Trying to put the incident behind her, she moves to Utah and takes a job as a church organist. But her fresh start is interrupted by visions of a fiendish man. As the visions begin to occur more frequently, Mary finds herself drawn to the deserted carnival on the outskirts of town. The strangely alluring carnival may hold the secret to her tragic past.

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Critics Consensus

Carnival of Souls offers delightfully chilling proof that when it comes to telling an effective horror story, less can often be much, much more.

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Geoff Brown

The Times (UK)

Sep 26, 2022

For all its odd haunting moments, Carnival of Souls is best appreciated knocked off its pedestal.

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Glenn Kenny

Video Review

Sep 26, 2022

4/5

Its imagery evokes not a horror of blood, but a horror of loneliness.

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Hugo Davenport

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Sep 24, 2022

If not quite a neglected masterpiece, it shows what could be done by atmosphere and suggestion before the days of slash and splatter.

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Sarah Boslaugh

TheArtsStl

Mar 1, 2025

7/10

The strength of Carnival of Souls lies not in the big reveal, which is obvious almost from the beginning, but in the unsettling mood it creates and the striking images Harvey puts on the screen.

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Howard Waldstein

CBR

Jun 27, 2023

What Herk Harvey's Carnival of Souls lacks in budget, it more than makes up for in inventiveness.

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Jorge Loser

Espinof

Nov 14, 2022

5/5

With a dreamlike spin, the film explores the dark side of the '50s American ideal of a perfect society... [Full review in Spanish]

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 16, 2026

Carnival of Souls = a *4* star Movie!

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g J

@g.username Sep 10, 2026

Elegant, classy and visually lavish, while maintaining a pervasive air of unsettling menace - this is impressively ahead of its time.

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B P

@Bradster69 Sep 7, 2026

Definitely Recommend It

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Pipe Smoking L

@RT92467537 Jul 5, 2026

I already knew after the first several minutes... I already knew... At about 45 minutes in, you'll lose your hearing and most of your senses briefly... see ghouls in the mirror... start muttering to yourself... pray for the company of a greasy masher... question your existence... or non-existence...? Good as an artistic trip. Bring your jammies and a pillow. 3 Stars for effort... and art. And stuff. (I saw the Colorized Version first... this will be a slightly different experience from the original Black and White... it changes the artistic value and imagery).

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Garry A

@heavyg Jun 8, 2026

It was mildly creepy but not scary. What stood out to me is how rude the main character was (thank you is not in her vocabulary) and her slimy neighbor.

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power E

@torturecide Feb 19, 2026

赫克·哈维以极低成本营造出令人不安的氛围，废弃的游乐场成为影史标志性画面。影片的先锋配乐与实验性剪辑手法，深刻影响了后来的大卫·林奇等导演。尽管制作简陋，但其对死亡、孤独与存在主义的探讨颇具哲学深度。女主角坎迪斯·希利格斯的表演空灵而哀伤，完美诠释了角色的迷失状态。作为"午夜电影"文化的奠基之作，它证明了恐怖片可以兼具艺术性与思想性。六十多年后的今天，那种原始的、梦魇般的诗意依然令人着迷

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Herk Harvey

Director

Candace Hilligoss

Mary Henry

Frances Feist

Mrs. Thomas

Sidney Berger

John Linden

Stan Levitt

Dr. Samuels

Art Ellison

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Synopsis

Mary Henry ends up the sole survivor of a fatal car accident through mysterious circumstances. Trying to put the incident behind her, she moves to Utah and takes a job as a church organist. But her fresh start is interrupted by visions of a fiendish man. As the visions begin to occur more frequently, Mary finds herself drawn to the deserted carnival on the outskirts of town. The strangely alluring carnival may hold the secret to her tragic past.

Director: Herk Harvey
Producer: Herk Harvey
Screenwriter: John Clifford
Production Co: Harcourt Productions
Rating: PG
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 26, 1962, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 1, 2012
Runtime: 1h 20m

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