Soul City

The Big Easy is often depicted as a fun-loving city with seemingly endless laughs and entertainment. Soul City, a new psychological show, flips that idea on its head and delivers a new and intense rendition of the lively city. In a series of events taking place in New Orleans, Louisiana, the legendary city’s citizens face trials and tribulations unlike anything seen before. The citizens, on their own, must find ways to survive their demented realities and push forward with their lives. 

Directors Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozah, along with writers Renso Amariz and Allen Frederic, develop a series of episodes that, while separate on the surface, are all connected through a series of unfortunate events (and one very mysterious cab driver, played by Omar J. Dorsey). These events pull audiences through metaphorical back allies of the Louisiana city and deep into the intriguing belief system of Louisiana Voodoo. Louisiana’s connection to the idea of voodoo is one that dates back to the early 1700s, and the state still has strong links to it today. The writers and directors use this connection as a vehicle for the story of Soul City, and their series shines as a result.

“…back allies of the Louisiana city and deep into the intriguing belief system of Louisiana Voodoo.”

The length of each episode, at first glance, seems to pose issues for both the production crew and, in turn, the audience. Fifteen minutes is not typically enough time to fully develop a story that grips viewers and create a product that delivers in terms of entertainment. This, however, is not an issue for Soul City as Simmons, Ozah, Amariz, and Frederic find ways to expedite the development process in each episode. They choose to use sounds to drive the plot and intensify the horror in each series.

They use the tapping of a finger and the ticking of a clock to build suspense and put audiences on edge. The repetition of certain sounds antagonizes the viewers and keeps them guessing about what might happen next. The brilliant score adds levels of depth to the series and further grips the audience. Without the use of the repeating sound or the brilliance shown in developing a soundtrack, the stories would not grow as beautifully and leave viewers feeling confused about the purpose of the series.