 | MOVIE DETAILS • Name: Moon Garden • Year: 2022 • Country: USA • Director: Ryan Stevens Harris • Main cast: Haven Lee Harris, Augie Duke, Brionne Davis, Morgana Ignis, Maria Olsen • Runtime: 93 minutes • Production company: Fire Trial Films, Oscilloscope Laboratories (distribution) • TRAILER
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Moon Garden (2022) is, without any shadow of a doubt, an instant cult classic. A movie that drinks from the big gems in the fantasy genre like The Dark Crystal (1982), The NeverEnding Story (1984), and Labyrinth (1986) but, in my opinion, even superior in all the aspects, from the story to the visual universe.
After a few short films and music videos where he already showed a talent for the visual crafts, Ryan Stevens Harris debuts in a feature film with this epic tale where not only serves as the director but is also the writer, producer, animator, editor, sound designer, art director, and visual effects artist. A story that goes from a very dramatic start point to become a trip into the subconscious of a little girl hovering between life and death.
But not only Moon Garden (2022) is a sublime journey about losing the conection to the world of the living and becoming a part of the past; it is also a metaphore about growing up, about losing the innocence of a child and turning into an adult, giving more importance to things that perhaps should not be the center of our time and energy like work of finding economic stability. Because growing up can also be seen as the death of the child we once were.
Haven Lee Harris carries on the entire movie on her back. Despite her very early age, the little girl is present in all the scenes of the movie, most of the time being the only potagonist, and manages to imprint at all times the necessary emotions to keep the whole experience together, the whole spectrum from terror to joy, always from the perspective of the innocence of a child living a dream.
There are no villains in Moon Garden (2022). Only the quest of the little girl following the words of her mother through an old radio transistor dodging all kinds of dangers in an industrial wonderland full of snares. On the way she finds friendly beings, ilke the Musician or the Princess, that will help her carry on with her journey, while a mysterious and scary creature called Teeth seems to be after her. But Teeth is not what little Emma should be afraid of.
An incredible visual journey, very emotional so get ready to share some tears and feel your heart jumping out of your chest, and with a message that will make you wonder if you are doing the right thing with how you decide to spend your life, Moon Garden (2022) is probably the best fantasy movie made this century.
After its festivals run in 2022 and 2023, Moon Garden (2022) is having this month a limited theatrical release in North America with screenings in NYC and Los Angeles. But we only get to hope the movie gets the distribution it deserves and reaches theaters and home cinemas worldwide because this is something everyone of us must see, from kids to adults, from die-hard horror fans to the lovers of the most experimental and fantastic visual arts.
This is serious shit.
RATE: 9/10
IMDB URL: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt18561446
