Film Review: SASQUATCH SUNSET (2024): David Zellner’s Ambitious Film Scores Points for Taking Big Risks but is Not For Everyone

Sasquatch Sunset Review

Sasquatch Sunset (2024) Film Review, a movie directed by David Zellner, written by Nathan Zellner and David Zellner and starring Jesse Eisenberg, Riley Keough, Christophe Zajac-Denek and Nathan Zellner.

Director David Zellner’s movie, Sasquatch Sunset, will be a curiosity piece for anybody who holds an active interest in the Legend of Bigfoot. The Sasquatches showcased in the movie aren’t the most intelligent creatures but they do grow on the viewer as Sasquatch Sunset‘s story line progresses over several seasons in the lives of these very sensitive creatures. The movie opens with a gratuitous sex scene between two Sasquatches but the story line become a bit more accessible to general audiences the more the film goes on. Ultimately, the picture is both moving and tragic but getting through it could be a bit of a task due to the lack of dialogue (let’s face it, the Sasquatches don’t talk) and the absence of a real plot. This is more or less a tale of survival.

There are four central Sasquatches that are prominently featured in this movie. They are played by Jesse Eisenberg, Riley Keough, Christophe Zajac-Denek and Nathan Zellner. Expect a potential Oscar nomination in a technical category or two (namely costumes and/or makeup) at the Oscars next year for the way these creatures are vividly brought to life on-screen. The male characters often have their private parts visible and the female bares her breasts throughout the latter part of the picture. It’s hard to fault the way the creatures look. That’s also thanks in part to the performances which help bring the Sasquatches to life.

There are a couple of gruesome death sequences in the film, however, which makes the movie change its tone several times throughout. When a wild animal kills and winds up eating one of the Sasquatches, the audience will be upset at the way the movie goes back and forth between comedy and drama which it does, sometimes, rather uneasily. It’s hard not to be moved by the arrival of a baby Sasquatch, though. There are a few moments that are truly touching and keep the movie’s tone in the second half on-point with audiences most likely to end up feeling both respect and sensitivity towards the Sasquatches as they fight for survival against all odds.

The differences between men and women are ably portrayed through the way the Sasquatches behave in the movie. There is a lot of depth to the way the movie shows the desires for sex by both sexes and how they differ in nature. Unfortunately, we get a scene with a Sasquatch picking its nose and eating it which takes away from the profound nature some of the sequences possess. Then, there’s another scene with a Sasquatch intensely scratching down below. Though these scenes feel acceptable, were they really necessary? Maybe, the movie could have made the Sasquatches feel more relatable by not showing them doing things that are frowned upon. This would have made us care more for the Sasquatches instead of seeing them as dim-witted at times.

Eisenberg and Keough, the movie’s stars, are surprisingly believable in roles in which the performers are unrecognizable. Zajac-Denek and Nathan Zellner are also often plausible as well underneath their Sasquatch suits. This movie feels like we are watching real Sasquatches after the initial establishing scenes which set up the action which covers a year in the lives of these creature-like characters it chooses to portray.

Sasquatch Sunset is about the end of the Sasquatch as a creature as the title suggests. The ending of the picture is absolutely heart-wrenching as our two surviving Sasquatches and the baby arrive at a place that helps put everything in perspective for the viewer. It’s hard to say that the movie would benefit from less comedy. The way the movie portrays its characters asks us to feel for our Sasquatches in one way or another. Somehow, the comic touches feel manipulative and occasionally steer the picture off-track. They also undermine the dramatic integrity of the movie.

Still, this is an ambitious film beyond a reasonable doubt. It takes chances and should be commended for doing so. It’s true, however, that the peculiarities of the picture could alienate mainstream audiences which makes the movie more of a specialty film than a potential box-office draw.

In the end, Sasquatch Sunset is still fascinating to watch. Though there are crude moments and a bit of violence sprinkled throughout the picture, it is, at its best, a powerful portrait of a family trying to survive against the odds. When one of the Sasquatches grabs a live bird and runs with it, it’s a very intense moment. Traps arise in the forest which are meant to catch creatures that come in their path. Eventually, the Sasquatches realize they are no longer going to live freely as they once did. This film is a powerful reminder of the certain limitations of life whether it’s the life of a Sasquatch or even that of a human. There’s more humanity in these Sasquatches than we may care to realize and, ultimately, this is a film which should not be ignored despite its flaws.

Rating: 7/10

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