“Strange Harvest” Captures True Crime Doc Style with Fiction
True crime is the subject of much conversation. There are the felonies themselves, but there’s also the discussion of how true crime has become a widespread form of entertainment on its own. For many people, there’s something macabre about consuming documentaries, podcasts, and narrative works based on real criminals and the murders of actual people. Stuart Ortiz’s new film, Strange Harvest, recognizes that there’s a way to create the appearance of a true crime story without worrying about any actualities or unintentionally hurting a still-grieving family.
Strange Harvest is a mockumentary about the Mr. Shiny murders of the Inland Empire that spanned three decades. The two main interview subjects are detectives Joe Kirby (Peter Zizzo) and Lexi Taylor (Terri Apple). They serve as narrators, sifting through the numerous murders that were attributed to Mr. Shiny (Jessee J. Clarkson). The audience is along for the ride as the detectives slowly begin to realize that Mr. Shiny is killing for the sake of something larger than himself.
Throughout Strange Harvest, there are threads that might bring to mind certain real-life killers. The notes Mr. Shiny sends, while not in code, are reminiscent of the Zodiac Killer. Their taunting nature, along with the ominous threats, is what creates the connection, but Strange Harvest doesn’t pigeonhole itself by solely trying to evoke the Zodiac Killer. For much of the film, Strange Harvest keeps the audience in the dark as to what Mr. Shiny’s ultimate goal is. Could his intentions be driven by the occult? Something more Lovecraftian? Or merely evil actions for the thrill of the kill?
Vertigo Releasing
The most impressive aspect of Strange Harvest is the way it wholly nails the trappings of the sleek, stylish, true crime documentary style that Netflix has perfected. From the ominous opening voiceover (as a drone shot pans over the city that’s home to the crime scenes) to the distinctly cold color grading, Ortiz is a clear student of the genre. Where other horror mockumentaries may use The Blair Witch Project’s more shaky-cam, handheld, homemade look, Strange Harvest is glossy. For the general public, a non-fiction film is talking-head interviews in an empty warehouse-like building intercut with drone shots and a pastiche of other collected media. There’s a very real chance that someone could stumble into Strange Harvest and, until the film’s end, believe they were watching a true story. The film’s ability to mimic this distinct style allows for the audience to really get swept up in the mystery of Mr. Shiny without the guilt that comes from a true crime story.
Relatively simple in its set-up but gripping in its execution, Strange Harvest opens a door to a means of indulging whatever part of us is intrigued by these gruesome deaths. It’s not a film that’s necessarily interested in exploring why our culture is obsessed with these types of stories, it just knows that we are and it’s going to give us what we want in that regard. Strange Harvest will not be an unsolved mystery, but it does leave the door open for Ortiz to return and create a franchise around Mr. Shiny. Perhaps each installment could allow Ortiz to explore a different style that’s often used in the horror genre. If he approaches any subsequent sequel with the same fervor and attention to detail as he did in Strange Harvest, Mr. Shiny could enter the slasher hall of fame.
Strange Harvest will be available on Digital Download in the UK on 27th October and in Australia on 29th October.
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