I’m not usually unsettled by movies but “Lake Mungo" really freaked me out.
This low-budget Australian horror-thriller has developed a cult following in the years since its release in summer 2008, and it’s easy to see why. It’s so well constructed, that you’ll swear it’s documenting real events. And that sense of authenticity only makes it all the more unsettling and creepy.
If you can handle a movie with a highly unnerving atmosphere, “Lake Mungo” is currently available to stream for free via Prime Video. And just to clarify, when I say free, I do mean it.
Even if you don’t have a Prime Video subscription, you can watch this movie — you’ll just need to tolerate a few commercials. But that’s a small price to pay to stream this excellent movie.
Taking clear inspiration from “The Blair Witch Project,” this is a horror movie shrouded in mystery (its director, Joel Anderson, even vanished for years after its release) but if you want to know a little more before watching, I’ve braved a rewatch, and have all the details you need to know down below.
But first, a warning: Don’t watch this one with the lights turned off.
What is ‘Lake Mungo’ about?
Present as a paranormal documentary, “Lake Mungo” chronicles the harrowing experience of the Palmer family in the months following the drowning of their 16-year-old daughter, Alice (Talia Zucker).
Still grieving the tragic death of their beloved child, father Russell (David Pledger) and mother June (Rosie Traynor) begin to experience increasingly bizarre and unexplainable events. Things get even more spooky when Alice’s brother Matthew (Martin Sharpe) sets up a video camera in the family home and captures footage of what appears to be Alice.
Plagued by further sightings of Alice's ghost, the family hires a psychic in a desperate attempt to gain some answers. In the process, they discover that Alice had been hiding several sinister secrets that not even her closest friends knew about. As they investigate further, all signs point to Lake Mungo.
‘Lake Mungo’ is haunting but seriously gripping
“Lake Mungo’s” presentation, which, as noted, mimics that of a documentary, goes a long way to making the movie feel genuinely real.
With a lot of horror movies, it’s easy to remind yourself that the events on screen are fictitious if things get a little too scary, but in “Lake Mungo” that’s not so easy when it so perfectly captures the style of a proper documentary.
The movie is also masterfully paced, slowly dishing out new clues and revelations. At first, you’ll think the Palmers are just imagining seeing Alice’s ghost around their house but as more evidence of the paranormal appears, it becomes increasingly difficult to explain away what the family is experiencing.
Plus, when Alice’s secret life comes to the surface, “Lake Mungo” almost feels like a true crime doc with several shocking twists.
The found-footage format, and more reserved approach to scares, won’t appeal to all viewers, but what “Lake Mungo” does so expertly is create a sense of dread. It may lack the guts and gore of a traditional horror-thriller flick, but it’s deeply unsettling throughout.
And I found the glimpse of Alice on grainy video footage significantly more terrifying than any slasher revolving around a masked murderer hunting screaming teens in a forest.
The movie also has a little bit more going on under the hood than its creepy premise might suggest. Director Joel Anderson has explained that rather than merely a spooky ghost story, to him, "Lake Mungo" is an “exploration of grief.”
That definitely comes across. The Palmers' trauma at losing their daughter is almost tangible, and it adds an emotional weight to the movie. Also making it a more valuable watching experience than just being scary.
'Lake Mungo reviews' — critics love this cult classic
I’m far from the only viewer impressed by “Lake Mungo.” On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie holds a 95% score, which is a testament to its overall quality.
“A convincing mock-documentary style lifts "Lake Mungo" beyond spooky supernatural mystery into the realms of emotional truth-telling,” said Megan Lehman of The Hollywood Reporter. Popular YouTuber reviewer Chris Stuckman called it “an underappreciated, underseen gem.”
“Lake Mungo” is a little more divisive with viewers. It’s solidified its status as a cult favorite over the years but due to its documentary-style format, and its focus more on creating an unsettling atmosphere, rather than delivering pulpy scares, it’s earned a more mixed 62% on RT’s Popcornmeter (the site’s silly name for it’s audience review score).
Still, I think that’s harsh. Yes, “Lake Mungo” is a little slower but it’s packed with dread and shocking scenes.
Stream ‘Lake Mungo’ for free on Prime Video
One of the biggest compliments I can give “Lake Mungo” is that I first watched it late at night, while I was home alone, and after the credits rolled, I felt a little uneasy getting up and venturing into the darkness of the rest of the house. And, again, I’m a huge fan of dark thrillers and horror movies, so it’s very unusual for me to be impacted so deeply by a film.
If you’re brave enough, I strongly recommend you give this horror thriller a chance. It’s the type of movie that worms its way into your brain and will stay with you for days, maybe weeks, after watching. You might even be so creeped out that you sleep with the lights on afterward. But now that it’s streaming for free on Prime Video, there’s no reason not to give it a chance.
Not sure such an intense watch is your speed? Then why not check out our roundup of all the top new movies you can stream this week including a new British romantic comedy debuting on Prime Video which I'm fairly confident won't involve spooky specters.
Watch "Lake Mungo" for free on Prime Video now
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