MOON GARDEN *** USA 2022 Dir: Ryan Stevens Harris. 93 mins
Whilst 5 year old Emma (Haven Lee Harris) is unconscious, she goes on an adventure to get home by following her mother’s voice on the radio.
I found this could have been shortened by at least 15 minutes as there was a bit of a lull in the pacing around the midway point of the film.
At such a young age, Haven Lee Harris provides a powerful performance that keeps the audience hooked. She truly is the lightness in the dark.
The reality and fantasy blur together as Emma blocks out her parents constant arguing which appears to be traumatic for her. It is no wonder that she then has some truly terrifying thoughts whilst she remains in a coma. A focus on imagery provided some nightmare-esque moments that were used to show Emma fighting against the darkness to overcome her fears. This paired well with a beautiful score, which set the mood.
Review by Poppy Blundell