Shot completely on location in Salt Lake City, Utah and much of it shot in the ruins of the Saltair Resort, Carnival of Souls is a landmark film in psychological horror. Originally a box office failure, late night TV showings gained the film a large cult following and it is now highly regarded by many horror fans. It follows the story of a woman who survives a horrific car accident only to be haunted by a ghostly man. The ghoulish man is actually quite disturbing, even today.
There’s a strange, otherworldly feel to the film. Part of this has to do with the all-organ soundtrack playing constantly in the background but also the surreal camera work which reminds me of an early David Lynch film. The film poses many interesting questions and doesn’t talk down to the audience, leaving lots of things up for interpretation.
There’s a moment later in the film where Mary (the protagonist) gets on a greyhound bus only to find it full of devilishly smiling ghouls. Super disturbing. That scene alone is worth the price of admission but there’s many more great moments as well. Worth checking out if you’ve never seen it.