Lake Mungo DVD Review
Lake Mungo DVD Review
Go jump in a lake!
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The "lake" in the title is actually a dam, but I guess a name like "Dam Mungo" would be too tempting as critic bait. Not that that's going to stop anyone from dissing this rather dissable horror film.
Taking cues from North American films White Noise, The Haunting in Connecticut, and Paranormal Activity, this Australian low-budget ghost flick follows the effect on a family after a loved one dies unexpectedly. Presented in documentary style (static talking head interviews, recreations, and still photos) the tragic story of 16-year-old Alice Palmer's (Talia Zucker) watery death unfolds. (Could the filmmakers be ripping things off even further back, dipping into the drowning pool of 1980's Friday the 13th and combining actress Betsy Palmer's name with that of the character Alice Hardy?)
Alice was swimming one sunny December day with her family in the local dam, and drowned. Her death was ruled an accident, and the anguished family duly said their goodbyes and buried her. But Alice was not finished living — you see, she had a double life. Her family finds out about the "other" Alice when strange, inexplicable events begin to plague their daily existence. Alice begins to show up in photos, and then, after they set up a camera in their home, Alice appears in motion as well. The Palmers call psychic and parapsychologist Ray Kemeny (Steve Jodrell) to help them understand why Alice refuses to rest in peace.
At first Lake Mungo was entertaining enough. But very early on, the gimmick began to wear mighty thin, showing some raggedy, long-buried old bones. The story can't find a balance between the supernatural horror aspect, and the family-in-grief drama aspect. The dialogue is poor, and most of the actors aren't up to the task of making it their own — hence, they become Script 101 characters who're just there to relay information. I lost interest less than halfway through.
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Review by Staci Layne Wilson