Another horror movie drops. But The Moogai? This one's different. From the minds behind The Babadook and Talk to Me, this Australian nightmare doesn't just want to scare you—it wants to unsettle you. And the newly acquired trailer (courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films) proves it.
A Spirit Story—Or a Mother's Descent?
The premise is deceptively simple: An Aboriginal couple welcomes their second child, only for the mother, Sarah (Shari Sebbens), to be haunted by a child-snatching spirit—or is she? The trailer plays a brutal game of gaslighting, forcing us to question: Is The Moogai real, or is Sarah's trauma the true monster?
This isn't just The Babadook with a different coat of paint. Director Jon Bell (an Indigenous Australian filmmaker) weaves Aboriginal folklore into a modern psychological horror, turning the “creepy kid” trope on its head. The Moogai—a malevolent spirit from Indigenous mythology—isn't just a boogeyman. It's a manifestation of colonial violence, stolen generations, and the terror of losing what's yours.
Why This Feels Like a Horror Game-Changer
- Producers with a Pedigree: Causeway Films (The Babadook, Talk to Me) knows how to twist grief into horror.
- Festival Darling: Already snagged the Sydney Film Festival Audience Award and CinefestOZ Best Film Prize.
- Real-World Roots: Funded by Screen Australia's First Nations Department, this isn't just horror—it's cultural reclamation.
The Trailer's Hidden Terror
No cheap jumpscares here. The tension builds in silence—a shadow in the nursery, a whisper in the dark. The real horror? The question of who (or what) you're supposed to fear.
If The Babadook was about grief, and Talk to Me about addiction, The Moogai might just be the horror film about generational trauma we didn't know we needed.
Mark your calendars: The Moogai hits theaters May 9, 2025.
