Top 10 Bigfoot Movies of the 21st Century
Josh Millican
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Bigfoot: The Lost Coast Tapes (2012)
A disgraced journalist plots his comeback: Armed with a documentary film crew, he sets out to debunk a California hunter who supposedly possess an actual Sasquatch body. Frank Ashmore plays Carl Drybeck, the enigmatic outdoorsman claiming a connection to an entire community of Sasquatches. Many found footage horror movies take their time building up tension, but The Lost Coast Tapes has excellent pacing and top-notch suspense throughout as well as a really crazy final twist. “The Lost Coast” refers to a remote area of Northern California that’s a hotbed of Bigfoot activity (according to enthusiasts). A sequel is currently in the works titled Bigfoot: Beyond the Lost Coast Tapes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3VPhC0QbuY&w=640
Exists (2014)
Blair Witch writer/director Eduardo Sanchez knows that Bigfoot is the perfect subject for a found footage horror movie, going back to his roots with Exists. This time those who cross the Sasquatch’s path are simply campers who find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. And while all of these films subvert the idealized vision of Bigfoot as a “Gentle Giant,” this one actually communicates the creature’s violent motivations in a way that few are able. Yes, there are times when Exists feels almost like a Go-Pro commercial, but skillful storytelling and effective editing make for some excellent momentum. We’re treated to plenty of tantalizing glimpses of the creature throughout and rewarded with a final jaw-dropping money-shot, courtesy of the folks at WETA workshops.
Willow Creek (2014)
Willow Creek took some critical beatings this year, perhaps suffering from comparisons to the critically praised crowd-pleaser Exists, which was also released in 2014. Still, I thought this film was a brilliant and dark twist on established Bigfoot tropes. Yes, it’s a super slow-burn, including a 10-minute uncut scene of a couple in a tent listening to noises outside, but these filmmaking tactics succeed at putting the viewers right there in the darkness alongside them; I was literally at the edge of my couch, holding my breath as I strained my ears. And while there’s not much in terms of creature FX, what we do see (or rather, the implications of what we see) is infinitely more disturbing, suggesting a rather depraved motivation for Bigfoot’s interactions with humans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDpvgT-2OO4&w=640
