Myth of the Ghost Kingdom, written and directed by Jason Mullis, is a psychological drama centered on themes of identity, memory, and the search for belonging. We follow Abbie (Ingrid Alli), a professional caregiver, as she prepares her late mother’s house for sale and uncovers a life-changing secret.
The film opens with Abbie standing at the ocean’s edge, feeling lost in life, especially after her mother’s death. She returns to her car and begins her daily routine as a caregiver, tending to a barely responsive woman named Ruthie, whose loved one watches from the bedside. Ruthie had once made Abbie promise that her remains would be returned to the water. Later, she attends a support group for caregivers, where the emotional toll of their shared burdens becomes clear. One attendee, John (Hamilton Sage), opens up about his struggles caring for his sick mother. Afterward, Abbie offers to help John’s mother, and before you know it, he becomes romantically involved with Abbie. The two begin a tentative relationship, though Abbie remains emotionally tethered to the home she grew up in—haunted in a way that allows Abbie to hear her mother’s voice.
As she begins sorting through the house with John’s help, Abbie pops in an old videotape that hints at a hidden truth. Her worst suspicions are confirmed when she discovers adoption papers among her mother’s things. Reeling from the shock, she confronts Aunt Tracy, who reveals that the entire family had known about the adoption—everyone except Abbie. Feeling guilty of the deception, Tracy offers to help Abbie track down her birth parents.
Remember that thing about the house being haunted? Soon, the psychological unraveling begins. In a dream, Abbie receives a disturbing phone call from her late mother, warning her that the adoption story is a lie and that Tracy is manipulating her. Tracy then hires a private investigator, Heath (Toney Q. Cobb), who has already found a potential lead but advises caution. While Abbie’s mouth says yes, her actions say no.
In Myth of the Ghost Kingdom, Abbie (Ingrid Alli) finds a mysterious red book while sorting through her late mother’s belongings.
“…a disturbing phone call from her late mother, warning her that the adoption story is a lie…”
Impatient with their secrecy, Abbie begins stalking whom she thinks is her biological mother, Nicole Ray Montgomery (Patricia Alli). Ignoring warnings not to initiate contact, Abbie rifles through Nicole’s trash for confirmation and ultimately decides to call her. Abbie is now in deep trouble, defying the boundaries set by Tracy and Heath, and skating dangerously close to an ethical line no one wanted to cross.
As an adoptive parent myself, sometimes the best thing you can do in life is tell the truth. My child has known from the start she was adopted…chosen by her mother and me. It’s funny to still be asked if my child knows.
In Myth of the Ghost Kingdom, filmmaker Jason Mullis takes us right into the mind of an adult adopted child. Thanks to Ingrid Alli’s performance as Abbie, we feel her sense of being lost in life is only compounded by the news that she had been living a lie since birth. You feel every emotion in Alli’s portrayal, and then Mullis adds a supernatural element to it. I think the element could have moved more toward horror than the film lets on, but it’s still a compelling story.
I also love the look and the feel of Myth of the Ghost Kingdom. The use of film (or film-like appearance) gives the story a personal and haunting feel. The edits and camera composition are also geared toward presenting an authentic situation and locale and turning it into the advertised psychological thriller. To me, the final product is poignant and a bit chilling.
"…living a lie since birth."
