Sole Survivor (1984)

Director: Thom Eberhardt

Starring: Anita Skinner, Caren L. Larkey, Peggy McClure

A lone survivor of a plane crash is haunted by a feeling unworthy of survival. Dead people start coming after her to collect her.

‘Sole Survivor’ is said to be ‘The Final Destination’ of the 80’s. If that’s so, then thank goodness ‘The Final Destination’ came along! ‘Sole Survivor’ looks much older than 1984, and is slow and tedious like many of the 70’s horror movies.

Anita Skinner stars as Denise, the sole survivor of a plane crash. (By the way, the crash is never shown. We only see fragments of it during back flashes and memories). Soon after being released from hospital, she starts seeing strange things – shadows at first. These weird sightings intensify as the film develops.

Denise is a TV commercial producer. For a sole survivor, I found her to have a bit of an arrogant attitude, as if she believes she deserved to have been the only survivor. I didn’t find her a very likeable character. The obligatory love interest comes in the form of her doctor, Brian (Kurt Johnson) with whom she becomes romantically involved.

A has-been actress, Carla, warns Denise of visions she’s having, and that death would surely come for her (Denise), having survived the plane crash. Maybe ‘Sole Survivor’ was scary back in the day, but I found it way too slow and uninteresting. Many of the 80’s horror films are still scary today, but unfortunately I can’t say the same for ‘Sole Survivor’. If this is being compared to ‘The Final Destination’, then I’d much rather watch the latter, thank you!

‘Sole Survivor’ has such a confusing ending. And if you must know, it’s not a satisfactory ending. Yawn, thank goodness this is over.

Would I watch it again? No.