Sundance 2024 Film Festival – Because the The Moogai is an Australian film and one that deals with motherhood, while having a frightening creature as part of its narrative, comparisons to 2014’s The Babadook, which also premiered at Sundance, are likely to be made. However, The Moogai is very much its own thing, while centering its arc on Aboriginal characters, their stories, and folklore.

Written and directed by Jon Bell, the feature stars Shari Sebbens in quite a compelling performance as Sarah, a working mother of two. When she and her husband, Fergus (Meyne Wyatt), bring home their second child, they’re haunted and stalked by a sinister presence known as the Moogai, a monster that steals and then murders Aboriginal children. For the most part, until the climax, you only see glimpses of the Moogai, and it is a frightening creature, sometimes speaking through the voices of children, terrifying Sarah’s dreams. Like any smart horror movie, the monster here takes on various metaphors, colonialism especially and the erasure of a people’s history, stories, and even their future generations of children. This is apparent from the get-go when two white colonists chase a group of Aboriginal children through the woods, children protected by Sarah’s grandmother, Ruth (Tessa Rose). During this opening, we catch a glimpse of the monster who pulls a girl into a cave and likely devours her or rips her apart with its skin-slashing nails.

Much of this film also deals with how society treats women, mothers specifically. When Sarah pleads with others to help her protect her children from the monster, she’s eventually institutionalized and prior to that, too often told that she just needs rest. The very notion of the “rest treatment” has a long and ugly history dating back to at least the 19th Century, as does dubbing women hysterical for speaking their minds. It’s in these moments when Sebbens really gives a knockout performance. Boy, do you feel for her character.

This film also rides on its slow build-up and its creeping sense of dread. As stated, its best that the monster is never really shown until the climax, but it’s always there, lurking in a bedroom, hiding in shadows, striking Sarah’s dreams, waiting to snatch her children, the new baby especially. If I have one gripe, it’s that when we finally do see the monster in full, it’s a bit of a letdown. Still, there are plenty of moments here that work and some chilling imagery, including one sequence involving snakes and the baby.  There’s also a rich dynamic between Ruth and Sarah that plays out, dealing with family history, culture, and folklore/myths. Sarah may think Ruth’s old ways are foolish or superstitious and she may want to deny her heritage, but to save her kids, she must learn to embrace her heritage and listen to her elder.

The Moogai has rich acting, stellar storytelling, and gripping performances, from Sebbens especially. Like other well-crafted horror films, this film uses the monster as a metaphor to address the challenges of motherhood and aspects of Australia’s colonialism and erasure of Aboriginal peoples. This is a smart film with a monster that takes on an important meaning.

7.5 Out of 10