Fantastic Fest 2024 – Against the endless waves of true crime content, Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the inland Empire presents a faux documentary that reminds viewers serial killers like Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy live on in infamy while their victims are too often forgotten. Writer/director Stuart Ortiz’s (Grave Encounters 1 & 2, Extraterrestrial) latest is a harrowing and grisly film that’s not without something to say about our culture’s obsession with serial killers.

The film centers around Mr. Shiny/Leslie Sykes (Jessee Clarkson), who terrorized Southern California for two decades. The detectives who were assigned to the case, Joe Kirby (Peter Zizzo) and Alexis Taylor (Terri Apple), spend much of the film detailing the brutal killings and just how long it took to identify Leslie Sykes as Mr. Shiny. Zizzo and Apple do a great job in their perspective roles. They play their by-the-book detective parts quite well. As straight-faced as they can be, they have moments that show how much their characters cared about the case and how much it haunts them in the present.

Ortiz blends a lot of genres in 90 minutes, including true crime, drama, occult horror, and even mystery. This mish mash of genre works, and because most of Ortiz’s previous films are found footage, he knows how to use the faux documentary style to spin quite a tale. This includes the full extent of Mr. Shiny’s crimes and why exactly he committed them. His bizarre motives surface as the runtime progresses, leading to an unsettling and surprising climax.

Prior to the final act, this feature has a lot of shocking moments that show images of the gruesome murders. One person is slowly killed by leeches over a period of days. Another is lobotomized with a drill. Victims include a disabled person, children, a teen, and middle-aged folks. Some of these scenes aren’t exactly an easy watch.

Yet, what’s effective about this faux documentary is how it focuses so much of the story on the victims. For instance, after Mr. Shiny shoots 16-year-old Victoria (Dawsyn Eubanks), the documentarian interviews not only Victoria’s parents, but also community members. It underscores the far-reaching effect these murders have. The faux doc also names and details each and every victim, so they’re all more than just a body count. Yes, the film shocks, and some of the sequences are tough to stomach, but at least the victims are given a story.

Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the inland Empire contains plenty of disturbing moments that showcase Mr. Shiny’s heinous crimes. Yet, at its best moments, Ortiz’s latest film critiques the culture’s obsession with serial killers. The feature rises above gore to offer some thoughtful commentary.