The Moogai

The Moogai is a 2024 Australian feature horror film based on a short film of the same name, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024. Written and directed by Jon Bell, the film stars Shari Sebbens and Meyne Wyatt.

Synopsis
The story is about a young Aboriginal mother who thinks that her child is possessed, and includes Indigenous Australian themes related to the Stolen Generations (a government policy of forced removal of Aboriginal children from their parents) and The Dreaming. Moogai is the Bundjalung word for "ghost".

Cast

 * Shari Sebbens as Sarah
 * Meyne Wyatt as Fergus
 * Tessa Rose as Ruth
 * Clarence Ryan as Ray Boy
 * Christian Byers as Constable Flatley
 * Toby Leonard Moore as Dr Barnes
 * Bella Heathcote as Becky
 * Alexandra Jensen as Miss Miller

Production
Bell's short film of the same name won the Midnight Shorts Grand Jury Award at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival, as well as Best Director at the 2021 Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. The film is available in Australia on free streaming service SBS on Demand.

The film was co-produced by Kristina Ceyton and Samantha Jennings, of Causeway Films. South Australian special effects company KOJO Studios was responsible for the visual effects. Marty Pepper of KOJO, who served as, executive director, post-production, created a replica of the set at his own property in Willunga to create effects during post-production.

Release
The film premiered in the Midnights section of the Sundance Film Festival on 21 January 2024.

Reception
Reviewers of the Sundance premiere gave The Moogai mixed reviews, with the RogerEbert.com reviewer suggesting that "tightening the effects" would help the film, and hoping that it would be further refined before its theatrical release.