Strange Harvest

Saw this at Nevermore Film Festival in Durham, NC. This film nails the true-crime documentary format, with two hard-boiled detectives relating the story of how they worked to track down a serial killer in San Bernardino County, CA. It's like an extended edition of Dateline crossed with horror, and that's a grand compliment.

There are a lot of killings for the detectives to describe, but leads Peter Zizzo (Det. Joe Kirby) and Terri Apple (Det. Alexis 'Lexi' Taylor) keep it intensely interesting. Their sincere performance helps ground the film, which has a lot of pretty horrifying details to relate.

Although their testimony are mostly filmed seated (separately) in a studio, there are plenty of on-site details of the murders, and insightful and realistic interviews with the people who knew the victims.

The identity of the killer, who calls himself Mr. Shiny, and his reason for his killing spree is kept partially unknown to us until late in the film, which helps slowly ratchet up the suspense from beginning to end.

The film is quite gory, as it doesn't shy away from showing us the aftermath of the murders, each grisly in its own warped way.

When you realize the real reason for the murders (which you might guess sooner than I), the film takes on another dimension of fright.

To finish, if you like police procedurals, but find them too tame, this fictional account is a remarkable likeness of the format, as long as you're ready for some disturbing images.

True-crime programs on TV wish they could be this good.

Like Fenómeno siniestro (2011) before it, Strange Harvest dissects a type of TV program and creates an imitation even better than the original. This is El silencio de los inocentes (1991) as an episode of Forensic Files (1996), a sinister episode of La ley y el orden (1990) taken to its horrific logical extreme.

I saw Strange Harvest at the Nevermore Film Festival. It's a simple, low budget portrayal of a straightforward premise (at least until the end), yet masterfully executed. Peter Zizzo and Terri Apple are quite believable as average suburban police detectives pursuing what they uncover to be an extraordinary crime spree. By telling the story in chronological order, the audience knows what the detectives knew at the time and share their confusion in trying to make sense of the crimes, the lack of evidence, and their frustration in trying to identify the perpetrator and track him down because he disappears like a ghost. Each crime is different, and one in particular in a swimming pool is as diabolical as the traps in the Juego macabro (2004) movies.

El proyecto de la bruja de Blair (1999), the mother of all found footage films, used its documentary film style to seem totally real. Strange Harvest creates a similar fake reality that makes the audience feel like they're learning about an incident that really happened. The story's simplicity and its streamlined portrayal make it all the more convincing. I've watched a lot of big budget horror movies that aren't nearly as compelling as Strange Harvest.

There's an extra scene after the credits, be sure to stay for that.

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.

This mockumentary gave me the creeps beyond creeps. This film was so detailed and elaborate that it made my skin crawl. The crime scenes shown in this film were so vile and disturbing that this film will leave you feeling uneasy and looking over your shoulder. This film blends horror with true crime, creating a chilling experience.

As of this writing there are currently two very good scary movies out right now. Weapons and this little known movie that had good word of mouth sparking my interest.

Strange Harvest and Weapons are well worth your time. Both are scary but where Weapons is the larger budget, mainstream movie, Strange Harvest is equally if not slightly more intriguing.

This one plays out like a "mockumentary" creepy little hidden gem. The two detective characters here are convincing enough with a formidable hidden villain that quite honestly had me uneasy and freaked out. No spoilers here but just a good time to throw your money at. Stick around for the end credits after a terrific third act that will stay with you for a minute.