by Amanda Webster
The actor/writer discusses the hallmarks of horror and what’s really most terrifying about The Moogai.
The Moogai, by First Nations writer/director Jon Bell, is a classic psychological horror due to hit cinemas this Halloween. Bell says that the film “taps into every parent’s greatest fear – turning your children into prey.”
After the birth of their second child, young and successful couple Sarah (Shari Sebbens) and Fergus (Meyne Wyatt) are hunted by the Moogai, a Bundjalung word for ghost or monster.
A sub-current of deeper themes augments the story, the long-armed creature a metaphor for the government’s reach, the persistent issue of institutionalised racism and the transgenerational trauma of the Stolen Generations.
Award-winning Wongutha-Yamatji actor and playwright Meyne Wyatt plays the character of Fergus Bishop.
“Fergus is an interesting character,” says Wyatt. “I think there’s a supportive role that he plays in the film. But he also makes some very questionable decisions that are problematic. And I think I wanted to play in that.”
Director Jon Bell describes Fergus as ‘an audience surrogate’. He wrestles with the key issue — whether to trust Sarah’s visions of a supernatural force coming for their children or doubt her mental state and question her capacity. How did you strike a balance between believing or betraying Sarah?
“I know that there’s the trope of the gaslighting husband… particularly in horror and psychological thriller. I wanted to make sure that we were diving into that but also that this is a person struggling with dealing with somebody who’s having a mental health episode or struggle. I feel like he doesn’t have the tools to identify that and then when it’s a malevolent spirit then he feels at fault. He has to have that redeeming redemptive arc.”
Horror films were big in the eighties and nineties, with franchises such as Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th. Recently, the genre has become slightly more nuanced with films such as Get Out. Do you think that the horror genre can reach and resonate with audiences in a different way than other genres might?
“Well, I think like Get Out, in many ways, in The Moogai, the social commentary is the horror.
“You hit those touchstones that are expectant of a horror film, particularly in this genre, and I think you want your thrills, you want your jump scares, you want your big bad monster, but I think what’s been effective with those films is that…this way that we’re talking about something else; how that is the horror in society, I suppose.
“I think it’s always a good opportunity to put a mirror to the audience. I think that it’s in the social consciousness at the moment, and in a lot of the horror films today. It’s not just about killing teenagers in the woods.”
Did you watch horror films growing up?
“I was never allowed to watch it at my house, but anytime I went over to my friends’ or my cousins’ house or something like that, it was always on. Kids always like to freak each other out.
“Films that have been more psychological have been more appealing to me. And if they have anything like a twist like a Shyamalan or something like that, those are the ones that I’ve always enjoyed.”
The Moogai was a clear metaphor for the government institutions responsible for the Stolen Generations. Do you think that reminding the audience of this history is important, particularly after last year’s referendum?
“I think that it’s a good opportunity to talk about history in any way, and especially in this context in Australia. I think it’s still a prevalent issue. And I think what The Moogai represents in the film is institutionalised racism.
“Removal of children and those issues are still ongoing. Using a vehicle like a film that is also entertaining … but what Jon’s been able to do here is weave those themes quite cleverly in the film.
“It’s always a good opportunity to be educational, but also tell a compelling, entertaining story.”
I like how the healing or solutions to the issues resided in going back to country and culture. The women of the story were particularly empowered to find those solutions. How did that resonate for you?
“I think the film is a women’s film. Sarah really is the driving force, our protagonist in the film.
“Having someone who has been taken away from that and then her returning and being the three generations at the end, this breaking of the cycle… going forward and making sure that there this intergenerational trauma has a place to go somewhere forward.
“Supporting that story in this film was a great opportunity to be a part of, but in the end, this is a story about women.”
There were lots of scenes that were pretty intense. How did you prepare for that, and how did you and your fellow cast members deal with it on set and stay sane?
“I think when you get emotional scenes and especially in drama… actors love that. I think that they love to explore and dive into material that deals with the psyche.
“Bouncing off, back and forth with your fellow actors and diving into something that is the human experience, I suppose…
“The heavy scenes, yeah, I really wanted to jump in with that and particularly working with Shari Sebbens —the opportunity to play complicated and nuanced conversations. I think that we go there in the film, and it is pushed far, to the extreme, but it’s also making sure that you leave your stuff at the door, and you come and do your work, and then you leave. I think in between takes, we were cracking jokes; there was levity there.
“As professionals, sometimes you need that separation. It’s making sure that you’re there 100%, and then you’re able to pull back and be yourself again.”
How do you go about choosing what stories to tell or what stories to be a part of?
“I think curiosity and whatever takes me are the kinds of stories that I’d like to be involved in. And something that explores things that pushes me as an artist, I suppose.
“But at the same time, making sure that I’m also being involved in something that is a story that I want to do, and I want to be involved in and is telling something that I feel is imperative and needs to be told right now.
“If there’s a truth there or if there’s something that I feel like needs to be shared, then that’s the kind of story that I feel like I want to be involved in.
“And at the same time, ridiculously entertaining! Those are the stories I’d like to like to be in and see.”
What’s next for you?
“I’m writing on two different TV series, one set in Melbourne, one set in Sydney. One is with Bunya Productions, who do all the Mystery Roads, and then the other one is Blackfella Films, who did Total Control and Redfern Now. I’m writing on one of those series that’s bubbling away in development, and I’m writing on another one that is based on a play I’d written [City of Gold].”
The Moogai is in cinemas 31 October 2024