We allremember our worst nightmares. Whether they involve monstrous creatures, treacherous scenarios, or your teeth falling out, chances are there’s at least one that’s stuck with you for a long time now. Despite being figments of our imagination, nightmares can be horrifically traumatic. They happen when we’re at our most vulnerable. The odds are stacked against you from the get-go. While we can thankfully recognize nightmares for what they are, nothing more than a regurgitation of our subconscious mind, those who are in a comatose state may have trouble otherwise. In the case of Ryan Stevens Harris' upcoming filmMoon Garden, we’ll get to see what that entails.
Moon Gardeninitially made the rounds at FilmQuest 2022, receiving near-universal praise for depicting the equally beautiful and haunting world of a child’s dreams. Joining the likes of Shudder’sMad God, it’ll be a special effects bonanza that pulls no punches in creating an industrial fantasy land. As it becomes publicly available for a wide audience, there’s no better time to discuss everything we know aboutMoon Garden.
Moon Garden: The Plot
The official plot synopsis forMoon Gardenis as follows.
“When a little girl has a terrible accident and slips into a coma, she finds herself thrust into a darkly surreal industrial dreamworld. Haunted by a nightmarish spectre that feeds off her tears, she must follow her mother’s radio-static voice to find her way back to consciousness.”
In a similar vein to thesurrealistichorrorfilmHausu, it looks like we’ll get to experience a child’s nightmare ripped straight out of their subconscious. But whereasHausuaccomplished this through bizarre editing techniques and ludicrous effects,Moon Gardenwill do something a little differentin comparison.
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Namely,Moon Gardenlooks like it’ll go above and beyond in creating not just a nightmarish fantasy world, but one that doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to its terrifying setting. Any grown adult likely remembers the worst nightmares they’ve had as a child. Suffice it to say, they’re usually based far more in fantasy than on real scenarios. In replicating the kind of terrifying entities you’d encounter in your dreams,Moon Gardenwill implementa variety of practical effectsto bring them to life. Nothing is off-limits. Everything from stop-motion animation to miniatures will be utilized in creating a nightmarish world full of vibrant colors.
Underneath the terrifying spectacle, there looks to be an emotional core that’ll no doubt tug on the audience along on their heartstrings. While the trailer ismostly style over substance, we do get a hint at what threw our protagonist into the vibrant world they’re now traversing. Whatever this “terrible accident” may have been, it’ll likely be related directly to both her parents. They’re both seen watching over her in a crimson hospital room, and their constant presence will likely shape the world around them through their words and actions. As a result, we see that the fantasy world changes to something a little more bright and cheerful on occasion.
Moon Garden: The Cast
A film being led by a child actor is always a risky proposition. After all, they’re kids — most typically care more about watching cartoons or when they get to hang out with their friends. Thankfully, Haven Lee Harris will be playing the lead role of Emma. The aspiring actor has previously been in two short films from 2017 and 2020,Every Dream is a Child with TeethandOne is the Loneliest Number, respectively. The former, also previously directed by Ryan Stevens Harris, deals with a similar focus on dreams and imaginative creatures. While it won’t be a complete re-do of her prior performance, we can expect Haven Lee Harris to pull off the difficult task of making the nightmare world feel convincing.
Related:Mad God: How Phil Tippett Breached Conventional Stop-Motion Horror
Alongside Emma are her mother and father, Sara and Alex. Augie Duke will be playing Sara, who has been associated with a variety of projects from as far back as 2010. Brionne Davis will be playing Alex, who had a prominent role in the 2015 Oscar-nominated filmEmbrace of the Serpentin addition to multiple short films.
Additional cast members include Morgana Ignis (Earth to Ned,Stan Against Evil), Maria Olsen (Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief), Timothy Lee DePriest (Westworld), and Phillip E. Walker (Westworld)
Release Date
Moon Gardenwill be available to watch in Spring 2023.
Everything Else We Know
Similar to the British horror filmEnys Men,Moon Gardenmakes a big deal out of theequipment used for its cinematography. Specifically, the film was shot with “35mm film stock” with “vintage rehoused lenses,” giving each shot a strange grittiness and age that only adds to the bizarre fantasy elements. In a way, it feels strangely nostalgic, hearkening back to older stop-motion films one may have seen as a kid — along with the potential nightmares they could’ve caused.
