An incredibly gripping new thriller movie is available to watch at home now

A film that deserves a bigger audience, it's a must-see for avid horror, thriller or true crime watchers.

Written and directed by Stuart Ortiz (the cult horror flick Grave Encounters), the film - now available to buy or rent - tells a fictional tale but presents it as if it were a real true crime documentary.

The topic of this faux documentary: an infamous serial killer dubbed Mr. Shiny who terrorised Southern California for almost two decades and the two cops (Peter Zizzo and Terri Apple, both fiercely believable) who tried to put an end to his killing spree.

Through interviews with police, survivors, witnesses and experts, the viewer gradually comes to learn more about Mr. Shiny and what might be the reasons for his crimes.

Strange Harvest (or to give it it's full title, Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire) recalls in its story grisly but gripping serial killer thrillers like Copycat, Longlegs, Manhunter and Seven, with a dash of HP Lovecraft thrown in for good measure.

What sets it apart from its influences, however, is Ortiz's mockumentary approach, which gives the movie a much-heightened verisimiltude.

Yes, some overly violent fake-crime scene photos do occasionally puncture the illusion that the film is striving to convey, that Strange Harvest is a real documentary.

That said, the mystery thriller's authentic performances and its impressive aping in its construction and editing of real true crime docs, does a lot to ground Ortiz's impressively convoluted and twisted yarn.

Indeed, for long stretches, you'd be forgiven for forgetting you are witnessing a fiction. Be sure to keep watching throughout the end credits.

Strange Harvest is available now on digital in Ireland and the UK.