SASQUATCH SUNSET – A Review by Cynthia Flores
The slug line for this film is “A year in the life of a singular family.” The family happens to be of the Sasquatch/Bigfoot branch of living things on this planet. The time is now, and the unseen boogeyman is us.
This film is written by David Zellner. He and his brother Nathan also co-directed it. The Zellner brothers, who have done some other feature films together such as 2014s Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter, and 2018’s Damsel are a talented team. They also both act, in fact, Nathan is in this film.
The feature films they have done in the past were vastly different genres but they both had two things in common. Great casts, and an oddball sentimentality to them. Sasquatch Sunset fits in nicely with their work.
Again they have a small but strong cast. You will be hard-pressed to recognize the brilliant young actress and granddaughter of Elvis, Riley Keough, as the mother of this clan. Or the Academy Award-nominated actor Jesse Eisenberg as her eldest son. Well-known little person actor from Twin Peaks Christophe Zajac-Denek plays her youngest child. And the co-director himself Nathan Zellner rounds out the cast as the father of this hairy bunch. Very recognizable actors are hidden behind all this really good old-fashioned non-CG special effects makeup. Also, did I mention they don’t speak? No deep-voiced narrator is filling in the blanks for us. The whole film is filled with Sasquatch’s speech, grunts, howls, and noises. And yet they manage to make the audience laugh and cheer for them to survive.
Sasquatch Sunset tells the story of this family of Sasquatches over one year. They live in the misty forests of North America. They are looking for the rest of their kind. We silently watch as they live, love, and fight as most families do. Their story is epic in its scope. It’s poignant, funny, and at times disturbingly gross. These noble giants fight for their survival as their paths are set on a collision course with the ever-encroaching modern world around them.
When asked why they chose this subject for their new project the directors are quoted as saying:
“We’ve been interested in Sasquatch/Bigfoot lore since childhood when we first saw the infamous Patterson-Gimlin film—which ushered the legend into the modern era and established the iconic look of the creature. Almost every part of the world has its own variation on the “man of the woods” myth, all of which fascinatingly emerged independently of one another long ago. What is it about the enigmatic Sasquatch that’s captured the imaginations of so many, regardless of whether they truly believe in it or not? That it represents the gray area between human and animal behavior? Or our connection to the natural world, long since compromised with the development of human civilization?”
The brothers wanted to tell the story entirely from the Sasquatch’s point of view. They committed to creating the most accurate representation possible. Everything you see in the film is true to how Sasquatch has been seen in real life. They studied animal behavior and reviewed research from cryptozoologists and the professional Sasquatch community.
Please note there is an R rating on this film. I am guessing because of the relations between the mother and father as well as the fact they have no clothes on. Of course, they have no clothes on, they are Sasquatch, and they live in the woods. Also, in this film, as in some nature films, there is visible genitalia. Hilariously visible at times. That is all I have to say about it besides the myth that big feet mean big you know what is debunked here.
I give Sasquatch Sunset 3.75 stars. It’s not a film for everyone. But everyone who goes to see it will enjoy themselves and find it oddly relatable. And perhaps the next time you go camping in the deep woods, you’ll listen for the faint sound of a Sasquatch/Bigfoot banging on a tree looking for their tribe.
Directed by: David Zellner and Nathan Zellner
Written by: David Zellner
Rated: R
Selig Rating: 3.75 Stars
Running Time: 1h 29 min
Comedy/Adventure
Release: In Theaters April 19th
Starring: Riley Keough, Jesse Eisenberg, Christophe Zajac-Denek, Nathan Zellner
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.
