If no one had told us that Strange Harvest was fictional, we would’ve believed this to be a real true crime documentary – that’s how convincing and believable it is. Filmed mockumentary style, it recounts the manhunt of the illusive occult killer Mr Shiny, from the perspective of the tormented detectives on the case.

From start to finish, the film is tense and cryptic, resulting in some head-scratching pondering on what could possibly be in store. Mr Shiny is utterly terrifying; he mixes the esoteric with depraved annihilation, culminating in a bloodbath of ritual sacrifice. As expected with a killer this terrifying, Strange Harvest doesn’t skimp on the gore, boasting some truly depraved and brutal kills.

Mr Shiny is a really convincing character, but that’s all thanks to our two head detectives, who are leading us through this nightmare of a story – Peter Zizzo and Terri Apple’s performances and writer-director Stuart Ortiz’s attention to detail really build the believability of this film. You feel how much devastation this county has gone through at the hands of Mr Shiny, and you find yourself empathising with the victims and their families.

Strange Harvest is one of the most convincing mockumentaries we have ever watched – it knows what it is, yet manages to blindside us. It doesn’t rely on jump scares, just the truly horrific crimes that one person has committed, revealing the true evil potential of an individual. It has everything you want: a terrifying killer with a strong motive, gruesome kills and found footage elements that make this an engaging and tense watch. A fascinating blend of esoteric murder with cosmic horror.

STRANGE HARVEST is released on digital platforms from October 27th.