Sasquatch Sunset (2024)

Imagine, if you will, watching an animal documentary with no dialogue, no narration, and no censorship. Everything captured on camera — no matter how vulgar or distasteful to typical network standards and practices — is allowed to be seen by the viewer. That’s the experience of viewing Sasquatch Sunset. The subject is, of course, Bigfoot. Or, in the case of the movie, a family of them. (Sasquatch Sunset is obviously not a documentary; it’s a scripted movie. But if you approach it as one, you’ll be in a better mindset than if you go in expecting a plot-driven comedy.)

Directors David and Nathan Zellner follow four sasquatch creatures as they travel through the wilderness. They appear to be searching for others of their kind by using the supposed Bigfoot methods of communication like tree-knocking and whooping. Along the way, we get to peer into the daily life and learn probably more than we ever needed to about the presumed habits of a sasquatch family.

The family unit consists of an older male (Nathan Zellner,) presumably his son (Jesse Eisenberg,) the son’s mate, (Riley Keough,) and their son (Christophe Zajac-Denek.) I could be wrong on their relationships to one another because there’s no backstory or any exposition at all. Title cards that announce the four seasons provide the only guideposts to the audience. Literally, everything else is up to viewer to decode. (Watching it a second time would definitely help me grasp who’s who as, initially, it was quite challenging to tell the creatures apart, except by their size, especially in the first 15 minutes.)

The ability of the four lead actors to convey emotions effectively, using nothing but grunts, growls, and whoops, despite being clad in layers of latex and fur, is truly remarkable. All four do an outstanding job making it seem effortless. I rarely thought about them as people in costumes once the movie got going. The cinematography by Mike Gioulakis (Glass) is spectacular. Sometimes, the movie feels like it’s set on a different world, given the absence of human characters and the stunningly rich wilderness captured on film.

Despite being advertised as a comedy; Sasquatch Sunset offers more of an absurd journey than a movie filled with non-stop laughter. It really is a year-long visual journal of what happens to these four creatures. Now, I must warn you that also includes all of their natural bodily functions. So, you get to see Bigfoot sex. Urination. Defecation. Vomiting. Sometimes all at once. If you’ve wanted to see a fully erect sasquatch penis, you finally have your opportunity. Multiple times, actually. Out of context, this could eclipse the film’s numerous poignant and touching scenes.

Imagine recording every moment of your pet’s life for a year without edits. You’d capture the hilarious, sweet, and touching moments, but also the messy, less glamorous aspects of their daily routines, including bodily fluids and, possibly, inappropriate sexual advances on other animals or furniture. Consequently, parts of the footage may be deemed unforgettable, yet overall, it probably won’t appeal to everyone. And neither does Sasquatch Sunset.