The Australian filmmaker has sorted through the nightmare fuel with a hair-raising story.
Possessions, ghosts, and ghouls, oh my! Australian film storytelling is full of the supernatural, the macabre and the gruesome, so we’ve gathered just a few titles from our archives to thrill and entertain you this spooky season.
Ten years after its release, the global hit The Babadook continues to inspire fear wherever it is seen. Essie Davis gives an unforgettable performance as a single mother who overcomes the untimely death of her husband when her son’s obsession with the shadowy Mr. Babadook becomes apparent. A traumatized wail emerges as the strangest ghoul in Australian horror history. We spoke to director Jennifer Kent about the 10th anniversary of her debut film.
“I recently toured the United States for the film’s re-release and was thrilled to learn first-hand how much The Babadook is loved. Christina Seiton (Causeway Films) I’m really happy that the team and I were able to live up to the vision of the film to the level that we achieved.
Ten years later, we can see that it’s becoming increasingly difficult for filmmakers, new or not, to get their work made. That’s why it’s so important that we continue to support the authentic voices of filmmakers and help them create impactful, lasting, and beautiful films. ”
Based on the award-winning short story of the same name, this feature film reunites Shari Sebbens and Maine Wyatt as new parents threatened by evil intentions, and an unforgettable story about the intergenerational trauma of the Stolen Generations. A discussion is drawn. Fresh off its international festival run, ‘Mougai’ will be released in local cinemas starting October 31st.
Writer and director John Bell spoke on the Screen Australia podcast about bringing an Indigenous perspective to the horror genre following the short film’s release in 2021. You can listen to the episode here.
Even death can’t separate Chester and Mapleslope, who are best friends. Mapleslope meets an unfortunate fate at an abandoned amusement park haunted by a teenage ghost. Crazy Fun Park from the Gateway Horror series blends comedy and drama in a fun story about friendship, grief, and the ghosts of adolescence. Created by Nicholas Verso (Swift Street, Boys in the Trees) for ABC Kids, the award-winning series is produced by acclaimed production team Werner Film Productions ( Produced by Dance Academy, Newsreader) and Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF).
Hysteria grips a small community in colonial Australia when a group of boarding school girls and teachers go missing during a field trip to Hanging Rock. The use of landscape is a classic Gothic metaphor, employed for eerie effect in an enigmatic tale of colonial horror and women’s oppression. Peter Weir’s “horror mystery romance,” based on Joan Lindsay’s novel of the same name, is credited with inspiring the mystique of Sophia Ford Coppola, and nearly 50 years after its release, visitors are still treated to the infamous It continues to provide inspiration for rock music.
Indigenous artist Tracy Moffat’s chilling collection of ghost stories, beDevil, is the first feature film by an Indigenous Australian woman. A boy haunted by the ghost of an American soldier, a family haunted by an invisible train, young lovers destined to dance forever – Moffat’s stories of loss, place and memory range from the theatrical to the surreal. It is expressed like a surreal dream. realistic aesthetics. Selected for the “Un Certain Regard” section at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.
Capturing the occult frenzy of the 70s, Late Night with the Devil follows a variety talk show host, Jack Delroy (played with manic ambition by David Dastmalchian), who finds a possessed child in his living room. It’s about dealing with the failure of a live broadcast that unleashes terror on the room. Created by Australian filmmakers Colin and Cameron Cairns and shot in Melbourne, this diabolical horror debuted at number one on streaming platform Shudder and has a 97% critic approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. obtained.
Ranked #10 on Letterboxd’s Official Top Rated Horror Films by Female Directors, Anne Turner’s feature debut has received worldwide acclaim, with Rebecca Smart playing the lead role of Celia. Devastated by the death of her grandmother, remorse for her bullies, and an overactive imagination, Celia’s anxieties and morbid fantasies come to life in the violent paranoia of rural Australia in the 1950s. .
Hungry goblins, unfulfilled death rituals, nocturnal emergency workers, the anxieties of new friends, teenage playfulness with demonic influences – Night Bloomers explores various aspects of the Korean diaspora experience. Here are five short stories to explore. Creator and director Andrew Andy Lee’s anthology uses fantasy and horror storytelling to comically explore intergenerational trauma and what Lee calls han (한), a complex expression of suffering and grief. and processed to terrifying effect.
Watch the behind-the-scenes video (above) where Lee talks about the inspiration behind Night Bloomers.
Something Spooky for the Whole Family – A trio of teens, Charlie, Pierce, and the ghostly Quest solve supernatural mishaps as rookie monster hunters in training with Old Man Hellsing. Currently streaming its third season, The Strange Chores is created by Ludo Studio, the team that brought you the global phenomenon Bluey, and stars pop culture favorite Julian Dennison (Hunt for the Wilderpeople). , Deeppur 2), featuring the voice talents of Michael Philippou (one half of Deeppur 2). RackaRacka, Talk to Me) and Charlotte Niddao (Mythic Quest).
Every weekend in the small town of Kingseat, performers transform into zombies, chainsaw-wielding clowns and nightmarish misfits in New Zealand’s largest haunted house and the most successful scare park in the southern hemisphere. Directed by Florian Habicht, this documentary explores not only the appeal of horror and horror as entertainment, but also the unpretentious team and close-knit community that has formed around it. Spookers is also an official Australian/New Zealand co-production produced by Madman Productions.
A must-see for this heart-pounding film from horror master Mike Flanagan. A family searches for answers to the mysterious death of their teenage daughter, who appears to be haunting their home. Combining found footage and documentary style, director Joel Anderson’s feature debut stars Rosie Traynor (The High Country) and artist David Pleasure as a man seeking solace for self-proclaimed psychic Steve Jodrell (Wentworth). Talia Zucker (“In Vitro”) plays the recently deceased Alice, who plays the grieving parents she seeks.
Find out where you can watch these spooky titles wherever you are with The Screen Guide.
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