TL;DR – A truly emotional ride through a new mother’s hell realised when no one trusts her that something is coming for her son.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid to watch this film.

The Moogai Review –

Today, we are looking at a fascinating film that, like Cargo, started life as a short film and then was expanded into a feature. Also, much like Cargo, I have never watched a short film, so I am coming into this world without any preconceived notions about where it would go. Indeed, I only knew that it was a horror film and that the production behind it is Indigenous, a combination I had not seen much of since Cleverman, and I am glad that I made the trek to BIFF to watch this, even if it meant I did not sleep well that night.   

So, to set the scene, it is the 1970s and officers from the government were snooping around the missions, hoping to take away the kids as their fathers were away for work. Agnes (Precious Ann) and her sister (Aisha Alma) run into the bush to escape, but Agnes hides in the one cave she should not have gone into. In 2024, Sarah (Shari Sebbens) has just closed a deal at her law firm and is enjoying the highlife with her husband Fergus (Meyne Wyatt) when suddenly her baby comes without warning, and both almost lose their lives in the process. Sarah is trying to adapt to the trauma and is not helped by her birth mother, Ruth (Tessa Rose), nosing in. But as she tries to sleep, she sees white-eyed children warning her that ‘he’ is coming ‘to take her baby away’.

There is a lot to unpack when it comes to The Moogai, and that is because this is a film that is filled to the brim with ideas and explorations. I think that may disappoint some people who are there for only one aspect of the film, like the horror, but when you sit back and watch the mosaic that they are creating, well, I could not help but get caught up with the narrative and where it was going. It would be interesting to see how audiences away from Australia will relate to this film as the history of the country is baked into the story. However, there are some features like intergenerational trauma that, unfortunately, many could relate to    

At the heart of this story is the exploration of motherhood, with how Sarah relates to the world around her through the lens of the trauma that she has just suffered and then the layers of mistrust that everyone around her adds to that. Given that it is one of the foundation stones of the film, you need to have someone who can carry that, and Shari Sebbens absolutely nails the brief. She has to go through so many complex emotions, shifting through many in a single scene. They are raw and compelling, and you absolutely get brought into her world. You feel that anger at the betrayal and the absolute certainty that I would not want to go up against Sarah in a court case. It was heartbreaking watching her world collapse around her, with scenes like the wine glass being a masterclass in unspoken communication.

The other foundation is that of trauma, which is part of every facet of the narrative. You have it on the surface: Sarah just went through a significant trauma, and her body is still healing. There are escalating factors like the betrayals and everyone ‘just trying to help’ that compound the trauma at every turn. People gaslighting her and dismissing her because they just assume it is post-natal depression or something like that. But then there are the deeper layers. The legacy of the Stolen Generations ripples through this film. We also see that on a personal level, there was a forced break in the relationship between Sarah and Ruth. Because of that damage, they struggle to communicate with each other, even when it would be ultimately beneficial. It is hard to watch at times because it is so raw an emotion. However, because it is grounded in a lived experience, it hits home at every turn.

From a production standpoint, this is a stunningly beautiful film, with one scene involving fire and a tree being one of the most stunning shots I have seen this year. The film works very well at building and then releasing the tension, with some wonderfully humorous moments and also a cut so harsh it almost made me jump out of my chair. The visual presence that they get through both the design of the children and the performance from Precious Ann helps nail the style of the film. However, I will say that, like many other horror films, the less we see of The Moogai (Paul Chambers), the better effect it has.       

In the end, do we recommend The Moogai? Absolutely. I am not sure this film will be for everyone. However, it completely captured me from start to finish, and I had to sit there as the credits rolled, trying to process everything before I could leave. If you liked The Moogai, we would recommend to you Talk To Me.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

Have you watched The Moogai?, let us know what you thought in the comments below, feel free to share this review on any of the social medias and you can follow us Here. Check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day. 

Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of The Moogai
Directed by – Jon Bell
Written by – Jon Bell
Based on – The Moogai by Jon Bell
Music by – Steve Francis
Cinematography by – Sean Ryan
Edited by – Simon Njoo
Production/Distribution Companies – Screen Australia, Screen NSW, Causeway Films, No Coincidence Media, Maslow Entertainment, Ahi Films & Umbrella Entertainment
Starring – Shari Sebbens, Meyne Wyatt, Tessa Rose, Clarence Ryan, Precious Ann, Bella Heathcote, Jahdeana Mary, Aisha Alma, Mary Torrens Bell, Toby Leonard Moore, Alexandra Jensen, Christian Byers & Paul Chambers with Piran Stone, Isaiah Whelan, Emilia Mobbs & Natalie Calluy
Rating – Australia: M;