There is something in the Australian waters that is spawning a micro-boom of horror films, and the Film Festival Circuit is the conduit demonstrating the concentration of great horror from Down Under. So far, in 2023, Aussie and Kiwi films Talk to Me, Evil Dead Rise, Monolith, and Late Night With the Devil have been wowing fans on the festival circuit. The Overlook Film Festival premiered the Melbourne-produced Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism, a smart, superbly grounded, and psychologically challenging contribution to the terrific Overlook 2023 roster.

The movie is now set for its TUBI debut on May 30, 2023, so it is time to present The Scariest Things interview with the Director Nick Kozakis and cast members Georgia Eyers (Lara), Tim Pocock (Daniel), and Eliza Matengu (Dr. Walsh) about their new harrowing film. The movie examines how impatience and short-sighted decision-making can devolve into abuse, assault, and sadly, manslaughter. Sloppy unsanctioned exorcisms have resulted in tragic consequences and are often set upon the weakest in our communities: the mentally ill. Tragically, it also victimizes women and children more often than men. Godless is also an indictment of the desire for a quick fix for mental health treatments and the bureaucratic entanglements that can lead to irrational and devastating decisions.

You can read Eric’s full ★★★★ review of Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism here.

The Overlook Film Festival is a place where small media like The Scariest Things gets to meet up with the independent filmmakers who create these movies that mean so much to us. The cast and crew of Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism was generous throughout the festival, and we continually crossed back and forth and compared notes throughout the festival.

Three years ago, it was Indonesia bringing horror in a big way, and now the Aussies are riding the crest of the horror wave. Embrace the wave. Give this a listen, and go get yourself some TUBI (listen in to our recent TUBI recommendation podcast while you’re at it!) and embrace the wave.

Production Note: Eric’s microphone was having technical issues, but have patience, we got it straightened out. Hang with it!