Spoilers were concerned the entire runtime.

The first thing that I found challenging about this film is the kid actor being in constant danger. It’s pretend, but for such a young child it might be difficult to tell the difference. As it turns out, the kid happens to be the daughter of the director, and it might be the first time I appreciate the nepotism in the casting as a positive thing. That being said, I really hope she never saw a single visual.

(Credit: Oscilloscope Laboratories)

Moon Garden (2022) is written and directed by Ryan Stevens Harris. The married couple of Sara (Augie Duke) and Alex (Brionne Davis) are going through a very rough patch. One fateful night, they are having a screaming match after certain events when their little daughter Emma (Haven Lee Harris) walks in. The kid runs off and trips down the stairs, suffering a concussion that puts her into a coma. Emma will start a fantastic journey into an industrial fantasy world trying to find her way home, which means awaking from her comatose state.

Emma is pursued by an animated construct known only as Teeth (Morgana Ignis) which is adamant in capturing the child’s tears. The effects are a combination of practical effects and animation both hand-drawn and stop-motion. A grainy cinematography and imaginative lighting accentuate this cursed dream world. The horror-themed storytelling is more fantastic than scary, but for every time that Emma is tested she recalls a time in her young life that her parents were there for her. This also serves the need of showing us the couple in their happy days. Emma is also able to hear her parents occasionally thanks to a small radio she carries around.

It works overall, specially since it never aims to reach the levels of Disney and/or Tim Burton productions. Instead the sets are minimalistic yet fitting the dirty steampunk genre. It’s doing its own thing. You might find the transition between practical and animation noticeable but not enough to break the suspension of disbelief. The child actor’s performance is rather impressive all things considered as well.

Highly recommended. Although not without its flaws, it’s a highly imaginative allegoric interpretation of trauma and family dysfunction. Filled with horror-themed imagery and not afraid to portray less than ideal family dynamics, this is not for the family-friendly audience. Very much worth a watch for the interested audience.

That will do for now.