★ 6 / 10
Very Cthulhu mythos vibes The style of this
Sierbahnn
Very Cthulhu mythos vibes The style of this movie is very "detectives talk to camera about horrible case, interspersed with cctv and bodycam" to retell a…
Very Cthulhu mythos vibes
The style of this movie is very "detectives talk to camera about horrible case, interspersed with cctv and bodycam" to retell a story. In this case the story is gruesome, mysterious, and gives very Cthulhu Mythos-vibes. While the cosmic horror element is very much an undertone, it does makes its appearance.
All the acting is very straight-forward and earnest, and the directing is good enough. For the bodycam and 'action-shots' you can hide a lot in the edits, and with blurriness, and those sequences work too. Nothing pulls you out of the action because it looks poorly executed or out of place.
As far as a horror-movie of this type goes, this is more than decent, and worth your time.
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★ 5 / 10
A pretty solid horror that starts off really
tender_buttkiss
A pretty solid horror that starts off really good as a faux documentary style drama about a serial killer plaguing the San Bernadino county area, but then…
A pretty solid horror that starts off really good as a faux documentary style drama about a serial killer plaguing the San Bernadino county area, but then halfway through the movie gets kinda ridiculous. Some of the footage felt authentic, but then some resorted to found footage type stuff that really took me out of the whole film.
Also, this serial killer was inconsistent with his killings. Some were ludicrously methodical while others seemed almost slapstick. And before you could get any explanation for why his killings varied, the movie just ends leaving you with many questions snd a very unsatisfying ending.
Anyways, this movie really fizzled out at the end. Waited for some kind of twist, but nothing. Very dissapointing.
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★ 6 / 10
Authentic, eerie, and well-made, but held back by its own format.
Strange Harvest is a fascinating hybrid on paper a horror mockumentary that merges the unsettling realism of true crime with the creeping dread of a slasher…
Strange Harvest is a fascinating hybrid on paper a horror mockumentary that merges the unsettling realism of true crime with the creeping dread of a slasher film. Directed by Stuart Ortiz (Grave Encounters), the film chronicles the return of a long-dormant serial killer known as "Mr. Shiny," who resurfaces in Southern California's Inland Empire after a 20-year absence. Told through interviews with detectives, witnesses, and survivors, the story unfolds much like a Netflix docuseries or an Investigation Discovery special, but with the menace of a fictional monster lurking between the lines.If you're a fan of the ID Channel or Netflix crime documentaries especially those built on talking head interviews, crime scene photos, and slow burn narrative reveals this movie is squarely in your wheelhouse. Ortiz nails the structure of a prestige docuseries, right down to the ominous voiceovers, grainy police footage, and staged reenactments that look just believable enough to make you forget you're watching a scripted film. The two lead detectives, played with grit and weary realism, give the story a grounded center, and the Inland Empire setting brings a sun-bleached, suburban eeriness to the proceedings.That said, while the format is well executed, it's also limiting. There's a compelling protagonist here, and Mr. Shiny himself is an intriguing, cryptic villain-but the rigid docu-style storytelling keeps them both at arm's length. We're always watching them through someone else's filter, rather than fully inhabiting their world. The horror elements, when they arrive, are effective but sparse, sometimes feeling like they're spliced in rather than organically growing from the story.This is where Strange Harvest may divide audiences. For true crime devotees, the authenticity and attention to procedural detail will be a treat. For horror fans looking for immersive tension or sustained scares, the docu-style pacing might feel like a slow drip that never fully erupts. And for viewers like me, who see the potential in the premise but want more than just a convincing imitation of a streaming documentary, it's hard not to wish the film broke free of its own structure.Ultimately, Strange Harvest is a well crafted experiment that succeeds at what it's trying to do-recreate the feeling of a prestige true-crime do, but in doing so, it may have boxed itself in. It's a film that feels almost too convincing for its own good, leaving you wondering if the same story might have worked better told without the mockumentary constraints.
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I live in San Bernadino. It hasn't happened yet, but it's gonna happen in this raggedy ass town eventually.