Horror fans heard rumblings earlier this year of a little independent movie that was making big waves on the festival circuit. Titled Strange Harvest, the mockumentary directed by Stuart Ortiz (Grave Encounters) got rave reviews from almost everyone who saw it, and while it didn’t exactly get a fair shake at the box office thanks to a very limited theatrical release, the film hits VOD today to give people a chance to finally see what all the fuss is about.
To celebrate the release of Strange Harvest, the first 10 minutes of the movie have been released (seen below) to hopefully entice fans to want to see more. Opening with faux interviews with police, a 9-1-1 call, and photos of victims while they were still vibrant and alive, the footage takes a dark turn into the occult when we see just what became of Tiffany Sheridan and her family, who are bound and gagged at their dining room table, having been exsanguinated and their blood used to paint a strange symbol on the ceiling.
Set in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, Strange Harvest blends elements of true crime and horror to deliver what some critics are calling an “ingenious movie.” The flick follows the resurgence of a serial killer known as Mr. Shiny after a 20-year absence, and the pair of detectives who work to decipher the cryptic clues at the crime scenes. Starring Peter Zizzo as Det. Joe Kirby, Terri Apple as Det. Alexis Taylor, and Jessee J. Clarkson as Mr. Shiny, Strange Harvest is now available on all VOD platforms, including Fandango at Home, and Prime Video.
What Critics Are Saying About ‘Strange Harvest’
Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a 91% score, it’s clear that Strange Harvest is one of those rare sleeper horror hits that comes out of nowhere to surprise fans who delight in discovering hidden gems. “I didn’t realize how badly Strange Harvest had shaken me until I had to wind through the near-empty parking garage alone at midnight,” wrote critic Violet Burns in their review. Stephanie Malone from Morbidly Beautiful adds:
“A chilling masterclass in faux true-crime horror that shocks, captivates and horrifies with disturbing realism. It’s a compelling, often shocking, and undeniably effective entry into the found footage and pseudo-documentary horror subgenres.”
Karina Adelgaard from Heaven of Horror also chimed in to say that several of the kills in Strange Harvest were so brutal and creative that they “could have been featured in Se7en,” David Fincher’s 1995 masterpiece that starred Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. Talk about high praise, right? All of that spells good news for horror fans looking for something outside the mainstream this weekend, which is being dominated right now by The Conjuring: Last Rites. Ortiz’s movie is the complete opposite of a big budget studio picture, but works on so many different levels to deliver something way more thrilling than just a few jump scares.
Strange Harvest is now available to rent or purchase on all VOD platforms from Roadside Attractions and Saban Films.
