The Lake Merritt Monster
2023 · 16m · United States
Directed by Benjamin Mulholland
Genres: coming-of-age, horror, sci-fi
When teenager Ollie's mother is dragged off by a creature lurking in Oakland's Lake Merritt, he sets out to find her — and stumbles into a hidden network of monster-hunters protecting the city from the supernatural beneath its streets.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
Everyone wants to greenlight the next Goonies, but Mulholland actually trusts his audience enough to let brujerías and Oakland's real supernatural traditions do the heavy lifting instead of leaning on nostalgia—that's the subversion that actually matters.
The film demonstrates precise visual storytelling rooted in a lineage of folk-horror and coming-of-age mythology, situating itself thoughtfully within both genre tradition and the specific cultural textures of its setting.
The decision to anchor the creature mythology in actual community practices of protection magic rather than generic monster-movie logic transforms what could've been derivative into something that only works because Mulholland committed fully to that single tonal choice.
Reviews
Mulholland wanted to create a Lake Merritt Monster story like Goonies, but with people of color.
Science will not save you, only brujerías.
Festivals
- Mill Valley Film Festival 2023
- Toronto Black Film Festival 2024
- Lighthouse International Film Festival 2026