Preview by Jon Donnis
An unexplained incident on a beach, a series of teenage disappearances and a man troubled by disturbing memories form the basis of HAUNTED, a supernatural horror film directed by Myles McEwen and Ripley Stevens, whose previous work includes Nightfall.
The story begins on 19 October 2003, when a violent storm hits the remote Australian town of One Season. That night, something happens to a group of teenagers on the beach, leaving a lasting mark on the community. The details remain a mystery, but the consequences begin to emerge four years later, when teenagers start disappearing and unsettling events suggest that whatever happened that night has not been forgotten.
At the centre of the story is Sol, a reclusive man living with fragmented memories and disturbing visions. His isolation is disrupted when the house he occupies faces demolition, forcing him to confront a world he has spent years avoiding. As a supernatural presence begins to stalk him, Sol finds himself drawn towards the mystery surrounding the storm and the events that followed.
HAUNTED seems to be a film interested in buried secrets and fractured memories as it is in the supernatural. Its isolated coastal setting provides a fitting backdrop for a story in which an apparently quiet town conceals something far more disturbing. The connection between the disappearances and the events of 2003 gives the mystery a clear direction, while Sol's uncertain grasp of his own past raises questions about what he remembers and what he may have misunderstood.
The film's emphasis on atmosphere and unsettling imagery suggests a slow-building approach to horror rather than a story driven solely by sudden scares. Whether the mystery can sustain that tension will depend on how effectively the film connects its supernatural elements with the tragedy at its centre.
With Sol attempting to piece together a past that continues to intrude on his present, HAUNTED sets up a story about the consequences of events that a community may have tried to leave behind. The question is whether uncovering the truth will offer any escape, or whether some secrets are better left undisturbed.
This is one film I am really looking forward to seeing!
HAUNTED is represented internationally by BLACK MANDALA.
