Lake Mungo (2010)

Review by David Rupp



Sixteen-year-old Alice Palmer drowns while swimming in the local dam. When her body is recovered and a verdict of accidental death returned, her grieving family buries her. The family then experiences a series of strange and inexplicable events centered in and around their home. Profoundly unsettled, the Palmers seek the help of psychic and parapsychologist, Ray Kemeny. Ray discovers that Alice led a secret, double life. A series of clues lead the family to Lake Mungo where Alice’s secret past emerges.

Written and directed by Joel Anderson and starring:Talia Zucker, Rosie Traynor, David Pledger, Martin Sharpe & Steve Jodrell.

I enjoy among many things tales of the supernatural, I also really like documentaries, so when I heard of Lake Mungo, a mock-doc ghost story I figured it would be a win-win situation. Well, I was half right. Focusing on the positive for a moment, the documentary aspect of this movie was dead on (no pun intended), great interview style, news inserts, dramatic re-enactment scenes, an all in all great effort.

I just didn't find it that scary, it does have a few creepy moments, accented by music and sound effects, but that's the fringes hanging onto the carpet. I feel it would have been a better stand alone film rather than an inclusion in the After Dark 4 line up, then the pretense that this is a horror movie wouldn't be focused on. A good film, well made, well acted, just more of a psycho-drama with creepy overtones. I was left a little flat from my expectations, but then again it is an original fresh breath from the Hollywood money machine paving the way with regurgitated ideas. 6/10.