Moon Garden is a fantasy horror that will take audiences back to their childhoods. Emma (Haven Lee Harris) falls into a coma after a horrible accident. She finds herself in a darkly industrial dreamworld where she is followed by a specter that feeds off her tears. Using a radio that plays the voices of her parents, she tries to find her way back to consciousness with the help of the outrageous characters she meets on the way.
After an emotionally intense opening, the Emma’s adventure begins. It is not long after she awakens in the strange new world that filmmaker Ryan Stevens Harris tips his hand. Moon Garden is not going to be a film that is more of an experience than a story. This is par for the course in these type of fantastical stories. The journey is filled with strange settings and creatures that are meant to transport anyone watching to a different world.
Moon Garden is filled with fantastic imagery. The Big Bad that chases Emma is nightmare fuel who looks frightening, but also makes a constant chittering sound that makes the creature that much more terrifying. There is also great animation, with a great moment being a storytelling session that fills the entire screen in black and red. A floating head tells the story as smoke envelopes it. The human actors are can be lackluster next to the impressive special effects, but there is always something to look at.
The sparse story will turn some viewers off. The film wants to say something serious about how a tumultuous home life can effect children, yet only sparingly addresses it. Emma’s mother Sara (Augie Duke, 2014’s Spring) is the best example as Moon Garden keeps teasing giving her more depth but ultimately never does anything. The end result is a potentially interesting character that ends up being one of the least engaging parts.
Moon Garden is a darkly beautiful adventure that is part children’s adventure, part horror story. The setting and imagery make up for a story that is often put in the background. There is a degree of patience require to fully enjoy it, but those who love fantasy tales should check this out.
Moon Garden comes to theaters May 19
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