All Episodes

January 25, 2024 25 mins

Jon Bell's unsettling 2021 short film, The Moogai, receives the feature film treatment with his 2024 horror of the same name. Making its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, The Moogai follows in the steps of other Australian horror films (Talk to Me, Relic, You Won't Be Alone) to have left their mark at the fest.

It follows the story of Indigenous couple Sarah (Shari Sebbens) and Fergus (Meyne Wyatt) as they welcome their new child into the world. However, Sarah's birth is a traumatic one, with her dying on the table, leading her to be revived in a horrifying manner. Back at home and still rattled from her birthing experience, Sarah endures another torturous event in the guise of a malevolent spirit that wants to take her baby: the moogai.


Jon Bell explores the traumatic history of the Stolen Generation in The Moogai, layering in Aboriginal myths and legends, alongside the complexity that comes with Aboriginal kids being raised by white parents, as we see with the character of Sarah. Her culture has been pushed out of her, replaced with a level of sceptisism and distrust towards her Aboriginal heritage. When her birth mother Ruth (a powerful and riveting performance from Tessa Rose) tries to help ward off the spirit with ochre and snake skins, Sarah outwardly rejects her, allowing the spirit to further take hold of her life.


The Moogai is frequently tense and unnerving, which is thanks in part to the work of cinematographer Sean Ryan. Sean worked with Jon on the short film, and in doing so, the two have crafted a visual style that amplifies the haunting aspects of the Australian landscape. In the following interview with Sean, recorded while he attends the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, Sean talks about creating that tension on screen, about how he chose to present the Australian landscape, and while skirting spoilers, talking about how he shot the fiery climax of the film which sees characters surrounded by a circle of flames as smoke encompasses them in the darkness of the night. It is a memorable finale.


While The Moogai does not have a release date as of yet, it will not doubt reach Australian audiences sometime during 2024.


Read the interview with Jon Bell here.


We will be bringing you more coverage from the Sundance Film Festival over the end of January. All of the work at The Curb is independently produced and relies on the support of our brilliant community over at Patreon. To help keep The Curb independent, visit Patreon.com/TheCurbAU, and make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist

CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist

It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.