This Free to Watch Found Footage Shocker is the Scariest Cryptid Movie Ever; Critics Say “It breaks the mold”
I love cryptids. Cryptids, for the uninitiated, are animals and creatures with strong ties to myth but lacking in scientific proof. Think Bigfoot, Mothman (even sexy Mothman), or any number of beasties who regularly pop up in folktales and legends. Naturally, the cryptid realm is a gold mine for horror stories, and some of the greatest horror stories ever told have adapted these myths in one way or another. Even The Blair Witch Project, one of the scariest movies ever made, is conceptually a cryptid movie.
The found footage subgenre in particular is prime cryptid time. Since the legends are reliant on our suspension of disbelief, and the possibility that these creatures might exist, found footage helps to sell the believability. One of the best ever made is Bobcat Goldthwait’s Willow Creek, an unsuspecting little shocker that ended up being one of the scariest movies released last decade. Now that Willow Creek is streaming free on Tubi, you can head into the woods and check it out for yourself.
Per Tubi: When a young couple camps out in the heart of Bigfoot country to catch the elusive beast, all that remains of the venture is their camera footage.
Willow Creek isn’t going to scare you at first, and that’s the film’s greatest strength. Goldthwait’s background is in comedy, and you’d be forgiven for thinking this was going to devolve into some kind of cryptid spoof. It’s funny and accessible as the young couple endeavors to capture some proof of Bigfoot on their trip. I’d hang out with them, and I’d probably have a ton of fun.
And then, like Paranormal Activity’s night cams, the sun sets, and they’re alone in their tent. Those sundown scenes are claustrophobic and suggestive, as Goldthwait draws out the tension with cracking sticks and distant roars. I’m still scared just thinking about it. In our 4.5-star review, we even wrote, “Willow Creek breaks the mold, with sensible characters you can relate to, fantastic performances by Bryce Johnson and Alexie Gilmore, and some of the most effective uses of sound in horror in recent memory.”
What do you think? Any plans to check out what’s one of the scariest found footage movies of the century? Let me know over on Twitter @Chadiscollins, and additionally, let me know whether you think Bigfoot is real.
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