diary for today | Ghosts 4.21.21

Hello again everybody! I’m popping back in to make another post for this wonderful blog. As I was mulling over what to talk about, it occurred to me that I watch. A lot. Of movies. So ,much so that it’s a big part of my life at the moment and what better way to gush about things than to ramble on a blog post? So, I like horror. Therefore, I search new movies to watch that fall under this category. About two months ago, I decided to invest some money into a horror streaming platform (and no, this is not sponsored so I won’t mention the name! Perhaps at a later date if anyone is interested but then again this knowledge is public information and isn’t hard to find). This platform has a bunch of movies that I have yet to see, but last weekend I came across this movie titled, Lake Mungo. I had heard a handful of reviews about this movie and how it’s a must watch if you’re into spooky ghost stuff. Naturally, I watched it right away. This film was made back in 2006 and is set up as a fictional documentary. A “mockumentary.” A 16 year old girl dies under mysterious circumstances, while her family members and friends speak about her and the aftermath that follows. The acting was very believable, and found out later that the actors were merely improvising, as there was no script to go off of. This made it more authentic as the family speaks about Alice Palmer (the girl who passed), in a way that sounds saddening and genuine. Without going into too much details, the idea that Alice is haunting the Palmers’ residence is a point of debate, as we find out that footage that captures what seems to be Alice, has been doctored and manipulated by Alice’s brother. Details on the private life of this girl are divulged, much to the surprise of her parents. Alice doesn’t seem to be someone that wanted to be known about, or rather felt that she couldn’t share herself with her family. This adds a layer of realism, as we see that the relationship this family had with Alice isn’t what it was cracked up to be. Nearing the end of this story, a single piece of footage is found on Alice’s cellphone. A grainy video shows a haunting image of an apparition. Something unreal and sinister. Was there a ghost all along? If so, who is it? My heart sank as the “ghosts” face became clearer in the video. It was Alice. The whole family sees this, and have no way of explaining it. Alice’s waterlogged corpse had been haunting her before her passing. What is strange is that Alice had been aware of this ghost for some time, she had spoken about this haunting to a local medium. Even stranger is when her family states that after recovering this footage, they sense that Alice has moved on and is no longer haunting their house. With this, they pack their bags and move out shortly after. However, something still feels…unfinished. What’s supposed to be this relief of moving on, never comes. Instead, it is revealed that Alice may still be haunting the house, unseen and unheard by her family, namely her mother. I still feel a sadness when writing this, as it reminded me of another ghost story, The Haunting of Hill House. The same theme of being haunted by your doppelgänger (Hill Houses’ Nellie Crane is the unfortunate sacrificial lamb) is explored and how these figures ruined the person’s life. Both Alice and Nell talk about not being able to be seen by their family, even though they are still there. Both in their waking life and after they have passed, they are left with a sense of aloneness. It touches what many of us never want to feel. Alone. I’d love to talk more about this but take my word and go watch Lake Mungo (and The Haunting of Hill House!) You will not regret it. - Jacqueline