Monday Movie Review - LAKE MUNGO

This movie was an After Dark Horrorfest 4 selection.  It took me a while to get to it for various reasons.  But now that I've seen it, umm...well...I've seen it.

This Austrailian flick is not for those who like their shocks, gore, and splatter.  It's a very subtle, very low key film about parents, family, and friends grieving for a girl who drowned in a nearby dam.  Told in documentary style, the parents discover their daughter had a secret life.  From there they begin to suspect their house is haunted by her restless spirit.

If you're the type who enjoys the slow-paced drama of films like "Paranormal Activity" and "Blair Witch", you might enjoy this one.  But for me it was too slow, too monotoned, and the scares that were supposed to make me feel creepy just didn't affect me at all.  Although I loved the Austrailian background, and the camera work was brilliant, I found myself repeatedly glancing at the clock.

Which is why my recommendation is to

Monday Movie Review - THE HORSEMAN

This Australian flick has been around for a while, but it's just been released in the U.S.  I'm glad it finally made it.

A father discovers his daughter was drugged and raped, and left to die after the four men who filmed themselves doing it to her released the tape as a porno flick.  A copy of the movie is sent to him anonymously, and he sets off to punish the men responsible.

The brutality is often off-camera, but your imagination makes up for it. This is no "professional" going after the bad guys a la Liam Neeson, in Taken, but an average joe who has nothing left to live for but revenge.  It makes for very realistic fight scenes when these men scrabble for any handhold they can get on each other.

The movie is not so much in-your-face, as it makes you feel like you're right there witnessing everything.  Stark.  Well acted.  Believable.

Which is why my recommendation is a hearty:

and get a gently used copy for your library.  You may not rewatch it countless times, but you'll want one for yourself.