My Soul To Take - Wes Craven Disappoints in New Suspense Yarn

The moment I saw Max Thieriot cast as a high school outcast, I knew Wes Craven's "My Soul to Take" is in trouble. How can anyone believe Thieriot is a social outcast when every time he sashayed across school halls, it looked like he was blazing the catwalk?

Wes Craven's return to the big screen is well anticipated. After all, he is the "Nightmare on Elm Street" guru who has teffified millions with his frightful franchise. But his latest work is surprisingly uninspired and derivative.

Capsule

In the town of Riverton, an urban legend tells of a serial killer called "The Ripper" who left a curse on the seven children born the night he died. Sixteen years later, the aforementioned kids are dropping like flies. (And as predicted, it's the Asian who's the most disposable! He gets killed first.) Has the killer been resurrected? Or is he among the 7 teenagers born 16 years ago?

Adam "Bug" Heller (Max Thieriot) is the school weirdo. He'd lapse into narcolepsy, waking up to images of people dying. His sister is the queen of mean, and the girl he's attracted to doesn't seem to know he's alive. One night, several more bodies fall - and he has to stand up for himself to survive. Now here's the million dollar question: How can he defend himself against a serial killer when he couldn't even parry the blows from his romantic rival, and worse - he's easily beaten to a pulp by his sister! What a dweeb!

When your movie hero is as weak as Bug, where do you turn for inspiration?

"My Soul to Take" fails to up the ante in terms of inventiveness, adrenaline rush or cinematic carnage. If you're into gore, look elsewhere! Inside the movie theater, I was actually tempted to learn new techniques on macrame while waiting for the eventual victory of our protagonist. Ho-hum!

Max Thieriot as the gorgeous 5'11' outcast! His surname is pronounced "Tey-rio". He will be seen next in another suspense-thriller, "House at the End of the Street" with Jennifer Lawrence and Elisabeth Shue.

An animal lover, Max owns 19 pets. He also hates dining alone in public: "I don't like going to dinner by myself, I'll call for delivery before I do that. It's awkward if you're at a table all alone. I'm sure nobody even notices, but there's something about it."