Strange Harvest Review: Killer Mockumentary

Strange Harvest is a grisly true crime-inspired mockumentary with cosmic horror twists and gruesome practical effects to match.

The film opens with the voiceover of Det. Joe Kirby (Peter Zizzo), setting a grim, compelling tone. And from that moment on, it’s easy to forget you’re watching fiction. Even as the story tips into the supernatural, Strange Harvest stays disturbingly grounded in the language and visual grammar of true crime.

The story follows detectives Joe Kirby and Alexis “Levi” Taylor (Terri Apple) as they reopen a terrifying cold case: the return of “Mr. Shiny,” a sadistic serial killer who vanished decades earlier after leaving a trail of dismembered bodies across Southern California. Now, new victims are surfacing, except this time, the murders are even more grotesque, and they appear to be tied to something… otherworldly. Using stitched-together crime scene videos, mock interviews, old footage, and new surveillance, the film presents itself as a serious documentary, even as it builds toward cosmic horror. 

The mockumentary approach is what truly sets Strange Harvest apart. Rather than parodying the genre, Ortiz plays it completely straight, and that’s the magic. There’s no tongue-in-cheek humor here; the film treats its subject matter with unsettling seriousness. Joe Kirby’s narration, which opens the movie, instantly hooks you. It’s the kind of gravelly, haunted tone that would feel right at home in a Dateline NBC special. It lends the story credibility, even when things get weird.

What also stands out is the attention to detail: interviews with suspects, victims, and witnesses are handled with enough nuance to feel authentic. You might catch yourself looking for production credits to confirm whether this is really a dramatization. The production design, especially during the crime scene walkthroughs and sequences, is rich in texture and eeriness. And when it comes to gore, Strange Harvest doesn’t hold back. The practical effects are shockingly gruesome, and it’s clear the team put time into making each crime scene both sickening and believable.

While the structure and concept are strong, Strange Harvest occasionally falters in execution, especially when it comes to the performances. Terri Apple’s portrayal of Det. Taylor often feels overly forced, like she’s pushing too hard to convey intensity in moments that would have benefited from restraint. The same can be said for several of the witnesses and suspects interviewed throughout the film. Instead of feeling like real people caught in a terrifying situation, many of them come off as actors trying to stand out, which breaks the immersive documentary illusion the movie works so hard to build.

Some scenes also feel a bit too staged, particularly those meant to look like raw, recovered footage. The lighting and framing in certain “found” moments feel a touch too polished, and it slightly undercuts the gritty realism the film otherwise captures so well. These issues aren’t deal-breakers, but they do make you occasionally remember you’re watching a scripted film, not a chilling slice of reality.

Despite its flaws, Strange Harvest is a gripping, unsettling entry into the mockumentary horror subgenre. It’s the kind of film that makes you double-check the lock on your door and google “Mr. Shiny” just to make sure he’s not real. If you’re a fan of Lake Mungo, The Poughkeepsie Tapes, or even early Unsolved Mysteries, this one’s worth your time. The scares aren’t just in the blood and guts (though there’s plenty of that); they’re in the eerily quiet, deadpan delivery of “facts” that feel too close to true.

Strange Harvest will be released in US theatres on August 8, 2025.