Lake Mungo

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Tyler

I think I was one of about 5 people that managed to see this in it's brief and unpublicised theatrical run in Australia. It hit just before the Paranormal Activity reality horror wave became so prevalent and although I don't find it overtly scary per se, I do think it's one of the most successful at creating realism and an extraordinarily sustained tone of unease.

While it would be simple to lump this into the "found footage" category, it's structured as a documentary and a well made one at that. It's very convincing and when things start to get a little supernatural they immediately debunk it which only serves to suck you in even more.

And what I love most about it is once debunked it becomes less about a ghost story and more about a grieving family unable to cope with the loss of one of their own. More than the horror, the drama worked for me.

Things eventually get back on the horror track and this will be more successful for some than others. Their big scare is very understated and while it was creepy as heel in the cinema it's never captured that again at home.

Still I find this a great overlooked Australian Horror gem. It's well put together and especially the sound design and music work wonders. This one's all about the atmosphere.