Underplayed Gems

Hunting for Shadows (2016)

Hunting for Shadows poster
Directed by
Davo Hardy
Genre
horror film
Country
Australia
Runtime
1h 15m
Rated
M
Rating
4.5 of 10 from 4 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

A small child is pursued by a demonic force in the Australian outback. The film uses Indigenous Australian mythology to create suspense rather than relying on gore.

suspensefulunsettlingvisually starkatmosphericslow-burntenseinstinctualgrounded

What happens

Hunting for Shadows is a 2016 Australian horror film directed by Davo Hardy. It stars Sage Amethyst Matchett, Sage Godrei and Paul Mercurio. Loosely based on various Indigenous Australian mythologies, notably on a variation on the Bunyip and Kurdaitcha Man, the film opens with a disclaimer, reminding the audience to treat the overall film as a work of fiction. Dealing with an unusual subject matter, utilizing the storytelling device of Indigenous Australians, this film balances realism and creative liberty in the same fashion as The Blair Witch Project, as the Dreamtime has no authoritative or recorded references to check data or accuracy. Focusing on the perils of being a small child in an unforgiving landscape, whilst being pursued by a demonic force, the film taps into instinctual fears and plays off the suspense, rather than the horror and gore of most contemporary independent films of its type. The film also pays homage to Dot and the Kangaroo as well as brings characterisation and reference to the Quinkin variation of the Bunyip. It was Davo Hardy's second feature film. Principal production took place between 1 March – 17 May 2016, before premiering in Sydney, Australia on 3 October 2016. On 24 September 2016, it was given a prestigious pre-release screening as part of the Blue Heeler Film Festival. Australian streaming platform OzFlix acquired the rights to distribution in January 2017. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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