Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire [Fantastic Fest Review]

Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire has the potential to become the next big indie horror sensation. I almost hate to tell you about it because a savvy distributor could turn it into a modern-day Blair Witch Project. The movie had its world premiere at the 2024 edition of Fantastic Fest and appears primed to continue making a splash.

True crime documentaries have become all the rage thanks to streamers like Netflix and Hulu. Writer/director Stuart Ortiz (Grave Encounters) tells a fictional story in that format. He’s not the first to do it, but I’ve never seen a better, more convincing recreation. The camera angles, the editing, the music, and the naturalistic performances all combine to the point where I had to keep reminding myself that what I was seeing wasn’t real.

The plot concerns an elusive serial killer known as “Mr. Shiny” who spent nearly twenty years claiming victims’ lives in Southern California. Among the interview participants are the two detectives who unsuccessfully attempted to nab him. I won’t go into specifics because the less you know the better, but Strange Harvest puts in place a complex, yet gripping series of twists and turns. Every time you think the case of Mr. Shiny can’t get any more disturbing, it does. Particulars of that case build upon each other, forming a paranormal mystery whose outcome you cannot predict.

What makes the film scary is the sense of authenticity. When the actors (as their characters) describe the murders or what they know about the case, they don’t sound like they’re reciting pre-written dialogue. They sound genuine. The little pauses, the searches for the right words, the way certain statements elicit emotions – all of those things are spot-on. And because of that, the tale of Mr. Shiny burrows under your skin. More than once, I got a sickly feeling from hearing something described or witnessing a crime scene, then had to remember none of this is true.

Perhaps the best compliment I can pay Strange Harvest is to say that anyone going in cold is extremely likely to take it for a real documentary. Well, until the ending. The supernatural overtones of the climax suggest the story’s invention – to people who don’t buy into supernatural phenomena, at least. Either way, this is a very well-made picture that sells you on its concept from the get-go, then proceeds to take you on a harrowing ride.


Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire is unrated, but contains strong language and chilling simulations of crime scenes. The running time is 1 hour and 34 minutes.


© 2024 Mike McGranaghan