Where can I even begin? This was a film that had me from the opening shot; I was immediately immersed in the story, and not once did it fail to hold my attention. In fact: this little Australian gem of a movie could've been over four hours long and I would've gladly gone along for the ride – that's how much I enjoyed it and needless to say: it's become one of my favourites.
It focuses on the Palmer family and the loss of their sixteen-year old daughter in a drowning accident. A few nights after her death, they start experiencing strange sounds around their house and so they involve a psychic, which only leads to greater heartache. All of this is done in the style of a pure documentary, going so far to include "news footage" and "police videos;" as it plays out, we see interviews from the daughter – Alison's – dad Russell, mom June, and brother Mathew; also interviewed are friends and family, and the psychic, Ray.
Everything is done right: the story is an interesting one; it is scored beautifully; the cinematography is evocative and moody; the characters are incredibly fleshed out and the acting is highly, highly convincing, and if you let yourself go you could easily believe that what you're watching is a bona fide documentary, and while it's not scary as such (you're not going to be jumping out of your seats with this one), this ultra-realism is what gives the film its chill, and what makes it a hell of a lot more effective (and superior) than the other documentary / found-footage-style movies out there. Added to that is an underlying sadness and a profound sense of loss, and it's because of this that Lake Mungo is elevated into something a lot more than a simple "horror" or "mystery" film, at times seeming to work on all your senses and emotions. Of course, having waxed lyrical it's not without its flaws, though they are minor and few in number and take nothing away from the overall experience.
Lake Mungo, I doubt, will truly scare the hardened horror fan, as I truly doubt it's a horror; but what it is, is a fine piece of filmmaking that will get under your skin and into your head and have you thinking about it for days after viewing. It does something that sometimes a number of other films fail to do: it makes you care about the story its offering up to you.
Highly, highly recommended.
It focuses on the Palmer family and the loss of their sixteen-year old daughter in a drowning accident. A few nights after her death, they start experiencing strange sounds around their house and so they involve a psychic, which only leads to greater heartache. All of this is done in the style of a pure documentary, going so far to include "news footage" and "police videos;" as it plays out, we see interviews from the daughter – Alison's – dad Russell, mom June, and brother Mathew; also interviewed are friends and family, and the psychic, Ray.
Everything is done right: the story is an interesting one; it is scored beautifully; the cinematography is evocative and moody; the characters are incredibly fleshed out and the acting is highly, highly convincing, and if you let yourself go you could easily believe that what you're watching is a bona fide documentary, and while it's not scary as such (you're not going to be jumping out of your seats with this one), this ultra-realism is what gives the film its chill, and what makes it a hell of a lot more effective (and superior) than the other documentary / found-footage-style movies out there. Added to that is an underlying sadness and a profound sense of loss, and it's because of this that Lake Mungo is elevated into something a lot more than a simple "horror" or "mystery" film, at times seeming to work on all your senses and emotions. Of course, having waxed lyrical it's not without its flaws, though they are minor and few in number and take nothing away from the overall experience.
Lake Mungo, I doubt, will truly scare the hardened horror fan, as I truly doubt it's a horror; but what it is, is a fine piece of filmmaking that will get under your skin and into your head and have you thinking about it for days after viewing. It does something that sometimes a number of other films fail to do: it makes you care about the story its offering up to you.
Highly, highly recommended.