Your next Halloween movie is this chilling indie ghost story from the 1960s

Some say that the sinister can be found in things that are familiar to us but suddenly become unfamiliar. But what if we come across something unfamiliar and terrifying that, despite being so, feels disturbingly familiar? Either way, horror is guaranteed.

Carnival of Souls  is this low-budget indie gem released in 1962 and directed by Herk Harvey, the director's only feature film. A horror movie with psychological and mystery overtones, it's a spellbinding story characterized by its ominous, chilling, and claustrophobic atmosphere. It could be said that the style takes over the story and takes precedence over the plot, which, although present, is more of a narrative excuse. What will remain in our memory once the film is over is, by far, the feeling of unease it evokes in our bodies and minds.

Mary Henry is the undisputed protagonist of the film, masterfully played by Candace Hilligoss (contrary to what some critics in the media have said, I found her histrionics to be entirely functional to the story, and you only need to look at any frame of the film to appreciate this). Mary, a professional pianist who plays the organ in church, suffers a terrible accident when, after an impromptu racing challenge, the car driven by one of her friends veers off a bridge and plunges into a lake (this is not a spoiler; it happens in the first minute of the film).

As the sole survivor, Mary is helped by the crowd of rescuers with curiosity and bewilderment. Everything is strange from the beginning of the film: the story starts in medias res, without wasting any cinematic time (or suspense); before we blink, we are already presented with the conflict of the entire film. Only we don't know it yet. Mary wants to leave the traumatic experience behind and heads to a new church in the state of Utah.

As a female character, Mary is fascinating: independent, enigmatic, curious, with a certain sense of humor and keen powers of observation. She manages her private life with caution and ease, but resists the advances of her new neighbor John, a nuisance who is determined to spend the night with her. However, Mary suffers a series of “visions” or “sudden presences” of a terrifying man with a penetrating gaze who torments her daily. John and the landlady, Mrs. Thomas, are the only characters Mary can turn to in order to try to hold on to her senses.

From a production standpoint, the film's low budget does not feel like a limitation at all. On the contrary, the mise en scène is quite impressive because, with some small locations and other magnificent ones, especially the abandoned Saltair Pavilion, it manages to immerse us in the story by offering images of unique visual power. The sound and music, composed for the film by organist Gene Moore, contribute in the same way. Far from being an anecdotal piece or a mere ornament, the organ is used as a spectral presence that feeds back into the nightmarish atmosphere of the story. The editing is ingenious, linking the shots with connections that are anything but random.

When I first saw it, Carnival of Souls struck me with its images, its unsettling use of sound, the appearance of urban spaces to create strangeness, and the great performance of the leading actress, who exudes such despair that rather than fear, it immerses us in a restlessness and anguish that is very easy to identify with, reflecting some of the deepest fears of human beings.

Bonus: Here is a link to a videoessay from Catherine Grant, The Haunting of THE HEADLESS WOMAN, where Grant explores the common threads between The Headless Woman (La mujer sin cabeza directed by Lucrecia Martel, 2008) and Carnival of Souls. Enjoy.