As any fan of the horror genre can attest, actually discovering a film that genuinely scares or even causes nightmares is akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Often we gravitate towards what spooked us in our younger years, chasing that high and hoping that the next great horror film will truly get under our skin. Of course, horror and scary are not synonyms—there are plenty of subgenres for just about any taste level. Strange Harvest definitely ticks off the boxes for this viewer with its nightmare-inducing imagery and documentary approach. The realism probably will not work for everyone, particularly those who prefer more graphic, action-heavy horror. But this unique found footage offshoot, written and directed by Grave Encounters co-creator Stuart Ortiz, has a timeless feel to it. Tailor-made for true crime obsessives, Strange Harvest acts as a chilling serial killer tale that feels just a bit too real for comfort.
Told through a blend of interviews, first-person police footage, grainy crime scene reels, and increasingly freaky letters, Strange Harvest creates a deeply immersive and unsettling experience. The events are recounted in a typical talking heads fashion that will be familiar to documentary viewers, complete with input from homicide detectives and best friends. Performances are subdued and naturalistic, which makes the unfolding horror even more grounded. Detectives Joe Kirby (Peter Zizzo) and Lexi Taylor (Terri Apple) take us on a decades-spanning odyssey of brutal, ritualistic murders that chill to the bone. The found footage elements are used effectively without becoming gimmicky, and presented to mimic true crime docuseries so well that it becomes difficult to remember this is all fiction. Every detail is framed with realism that keeps viewers on edge.
The story kicks off in 2010, when a routine wellness check turns into a crime scene. A family of three found zip-tied, bled out into buckets, and arranged beneath an ominous symbol painted on the ceiling awaits officers inside the quiet home. As detectives begin to investigate, they realize this murder belongs to a macabre pattern stretching back decades. Between 1993 and 1995, three serial murders unfolded with a ritualistic aspect to them, strung together by an ominious letter from the killer. Claiming to be someone named Mr. Shiny, this unseen foe claims that there are “10 transits” remaining, and vows to be back. No one expected him to lay dormant for years.
As the detectives recount each of the murders, they become increasingly unnerving and cult-like. Why is Mr. Shiny doing any of these things? What is his true identity? Can there be a pattern to any of the kills, seemingly unrelated but connected only by Mr. Shiny’s brutal reign of terror? While the film does give many answers to its questions, it smartly avoids showing too much. Instead, Ortiz implies just enough to let one’s imagination run wild with the possibilities. There are some excellent practical effects work along the way, but how refreshing to let the viewers’ minds do most of the heavy lifting. Mr. Shiny remains deeply disturbing even as we slowly learn more about the mysterious figure. There’s an occult undertone that gives the crimes an apocalyptic vibe, but it never leans too far into this arena, either. These murders feel plausible and thus, actively blood-curdling. When we finally get to the point when some of Shiny’s deeds are captured on camera, it only adds to his eerie mythos.
Extremely well done, Strange Harvest is not for the faint of heart. It’s one of those rare horror films that lingers long after the credits roll, thanks to an uncomfortable realism and downright freaky nature that slowly fills in the blanks of its demented protagonist. The ambiguity extends to an after-credits scene only carefully teasing truths. Fans of movies like Lake Mungo, The Poughkeepsie Tapes, or V/H/S will probably eat this up, but Stuart Ortiz carves out a purely horrifying identity all its own. Haunting and heavy, Strange Harvest presents a sickeningly believable slide of faux-documentary horror peppered with specificity.
Prepare for the reaping of the Strange Harvest, box-cutting into theaters on Friday, August 8th.
