Sasquatch Sunset review: "An eccentric concept makes for the best Bigfoot film yet"
May. 24, 2024There have been many Bigfoot films but this is the best sighting yet. Spread the word.
Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy.
As the seasons pass, we follow a female sasquatch (Riley Keough) and three males (Jesse Eisenberg, Nathan Zellner, Christophe Zajac-Denek) as they forage, groom, play, tussle and interact with other (real) animals. The Zellners also show their hirsute heroes as they urinate, defecate, fornicate and masturbate.
All very zoologically accurate… but also a bit boring? Not for a second. The unrecognizable actors work wonders under excellent prosthetics, while an ever-present air of mystery and menace pervades director of photography Mike Gioulakis’ (It Follows, Us) sun-soaked, scenic visuals.
The concept might be eccentric – there’s zero dialogue, only grunts, huffs and yelps – and there are gross-out gags aplenty, including much farting and scratching/sniffing of crotches. But it’s all played with admirable sincerity. Are we in prehistoric times? Or in the aftermath of an apocalypse? And will the Sasquatch family eventually encounter humans amid these vast forests and soaring mountains?
As time passes, a real sadness creeps in as we suspect that we might be witnessing the extinction of a species, though an inspired sight gag is never far away. This is a film that needs to be seen to be believed.
Sasquatch Sunset is released in UK cinemas on June 14 and is in US theaters now.
Jamie Graham is the Editor-at-Large of Total Film magazine. You’ll likely find them around these parts reviewing the biggest films on the planet and speaking to some of the biggest stars in the business – that’s just what Jamie does. Jamie has also written for outlets like SFX and the Sunday Times Culture, and appeared on podcasts exploring the wondrous worlds of occult and horror.
Todd Howard “rolled his eyes” at the idea of Troy Baker playing Indiana Jones in the Great Circle, but the Bethesda boss later told him “you’re doing a hell of a job”
Captain America star Chris Evans reportedly joins Robert Downey Jr. in MCU return for Avengers: Doomsday, but it’s not clear who he’s playing
The next Evil Dead movie has an official title, and it sounds like it could be even more terrifying and intense than Evil Dead Rise
