Strange Harvest

[mwynn]

Strange Harvest l OFFICIAL TRAILER (2025) - YouTube

[Zivouhr]

This starts this weekend against horror competition Weapons, which I think will dominate the theaters versus this film, but you never know.

This looks like more of the same, but maybe it offers something new. I wonder where the supernatural factor appears in the film. Maybe those Blair Witch style symbols painted on the walls?

If it's on a free to watch channel in the future, I might check it out to see how it holds up. The trailer looks just okay. It wouldn't get me into the theater though.

[The Great Owl]

Four stars

Strange Harvest, a 2024 horror faux documentary directed by Stuart Ortiz, unfolds in the style of a true crime television show, blending interviews and found footage to tell the tale of a serial killer, "Mr. Shiny", who left a swath of elaborate ritualistic murders across the San Bernardino area. Two homicide detectives, played by Peter Zizzo and Terri Apple, usher us through the proceedings, retrospectively describing the aftermath of each death scene that occurred at the hands of Mr. Shiny, whose diabolical misdeeds make those of "John Doe" from Se7en seem G-rated tame by comparison.

A couple of people at my theater screening tonight left halfway through, presumably because the unflinchingly graphic forensic photographs and videos got under their skin. Being the jaded scary movie fan that I am, I stayed for the duration, although some of the images unnerved even me.

The supernatural occult aspects of Strange Harvest offer a nifty twist on the standard crime story recreations, but they pale in comparison to the realistic depictions of what people are capable of doing to one another.

This is a cool little film, at least for those of us who go into it with strong stomachs.

[acroyear2]

What drew me to see this movie was the descriptions of Lovecraftian elements in the mix. There was that, but I was hoping it would've leaned a bit harder into that imagery. One of the more effective scenes in that regard was

[Show spoiler]the video of Shiny's attack on the young girl in her bedroom. The footage began to twist and bend a bit as if something otherworldly was present

.

Later in the film, I got a pit in my stomach when it was revealed that Mr. Shiny's last targeted victim was

[Show spoiler]an infant, especially learning earlier that age does not deter his evil

.

Serial-killers are typically my least favorite subjects for horror films, and it looks like I really picked a doozy for someone with that aversion!

I liked Strange Harvest, but unlikely I'll re-watch... maybe.

[MuffinMcFluffin]

I didn't know this was a mockumentary. If there's one thing I get bored watching at home, it's documentaries in general. The style just isn't my thing, even for things I truly love.

Thankfully, this fictionalization has enough flavor and obscene graphic imagery for it to stay interesting for my tastes.

What kept me at arm's length though was that it wasn't a mystery we could solve as we were watching. Most Hollywood scripts give the whodunit genre a sense of you being able to solve the puzzle as the story unravels, but the nature of this style wouldn't allow for that. In some ways, I might as well have just watched a 48 Hours episode.

I say that last part in jest. This was an engrossing story and captured the feeling of those crime tales well, but heightened the experience for cinematic flair. Nifty, but I wouldn't make a habit out of this and make it be the next "found footage" gimmick.

[russweiss1]

I saw this today and had similar thoughts to the above post. The movie was ok but not something I would recommend. 5/10.

What stood out most for me was that there were 6 people in the theater when the film started. About 15 minutes in and a guy with his daughter got up and left. About 30 seconds later an older couple in the row in front of me got up and left too. I've been in theaters where people left but this was 66% of the crowd.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Four stars

[Show spoiler]Strange Harvest, a 2024 horror faux documentary directed by Stuart Ortiz, unfolds in the style of a true crime television show, blending interviews and found footage to tell the tale of a serial killer, "Mr. Shiny", who left a swath of elaborate ritualistic murders across the San Bernardino area. Two homicide detectives, played by Peter Zizzo and Terri Apple, usher us through the proceedings, retrospectively describing the aftermath of each death scene that occurred at the hands of Mr. Shiny, whose diabolical misdeeds make those of "John Doe" from Se7en seem G-rated tame by comparison.

A couple of people at my theater screening tonight left halfway through, presumably because the unflinchingly graphic forensic photographs and videos got under their skin. Being the jaded scary movie fan that I am, I stayed for the duration, although some of the images unnerved even me.

The supernatural occult aspects of Strange Harvest offer a nifty twist on the standard crime story recreations, but they pale in comparison to the realistic depictions of what people are capable of doing to one another.

This is a cool little film, at least for those of us who go into it with strong stomachs.

A few days back, the assistant director of Strange Harvest commented on my above review on Letterboxd to thank me for writing it.

That was pretty cool and unexpected.

It is a reminder that more filmmakers actually read Letterboxd reviews than one would assume. Or perhaps this site, for that matter. Not that it matters, because I generally extoll the virtues of even lesser movies, but still. lol

[Deutschmann]

I've watched this film twice now, and without hesitation I rate it 10/10. This is a masterpiece, IF you like Lovecraft. And of course I do adore Lovecraft. This film is a loving homage to Lovecraft, containing every element of a mythos story remixed and retold by someone who understands the essence of Lovecraftian horror.

Everything in it is fantastic, the music, the pacing, the slow creepiness, the practical effects, just everything.

If you haven't seen it, please do. And please rate it highly on some platform, so that it garners enough support for a physical release. It is much better than Weapons. As is typical, the inferior product gets the wide release and the praise of the plebs.

We need Strange Harvest on Blu-ray.

[HorrorBlu]

Kept my interest, certainly had some creepy bits. Not as good as Poughkeepsie Tapes or Lake Mungo, but fans of those should enjoy.