Sasquatch Sunset is one of the most original and unusual films you’re likely to ever see, we called it “profound, touching and hilarious.” Beginning in the misty forests of North America, a family of Sasquatches – possibly the last of their enigmatic kind – embark on an absurdist, epic, hilarious, and ultimately poignant journey. Over the course of a year, these shaggy and noble giants fight for survival as they find themselves on a collision course with the ever-changing world around them.
Starring Riley Keough (Mad Max: Fury Road, American Honey) and Oscar-nominee Jesse Eisenberg (Zombieland, The Social Network), acclaimed directors David and Nathan Zellner (Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter) bring audiences the greatest Bigfoot story ever told from the producers of Hereditary and Midsommar.
Scoring rave reviews after the World Premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, with screenings at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, South by Southwest and Sundance London, this bold and daring film has become one of the most talked about movies of the summer. To celebrate the UK home release on Blu-ray and Digital (with more than 3 hours of UK exclusive extras), we caught up with co-director and actor Nathan Zellner to reflect on the film…
STARBURST: Sasquatch Sunset is such a wild film that it earned a great response worldwide. What are some of your proudest scenes or moments?
Nathan Zellner: Not wanting to give away any spoilers, but we had always planted a flag on the river scene because we knew it would be one of the hardest to shoot, technically, but also have a really heavy, emotional weight to it. We prepped for it in the storyboard, scouted the area several times and I think we took two days to shoot it. We had such a condensed shooting schedule, but we wanted to do it the right way. From the way that scene was shot by Mike Gioulakis, our director of photography, to the acting and performances, everyone brought their best. Even some of the things we figured out later in editing, which our sound editor Jack Sobo helped with, plus the music from The Octopus Project, so many people enhanced and elevated it. The scene has a sense of dread, with us witnessing the dire circumstances the Sasquatch find themselves in. It’s been an interesting scene to watch in movie theatres with different audiences because you feel the energy in the room, and people are really invested. Hopefully, it means all that hard work paid off!
That’s a really poignant scene, yet there are also a lot of fun and wacky scenes. What stands out the most for you?
With my character, the scene eating the mushrooms, getting high, and then stomping around and yelling was a lot of fun. We came up with different creative things to use when I’m foaming at the mouth or throwing up! [laughs] Anytime we got to work with animals was a big joy, too, because they’re fascinating and unpredictable. It’s almost like watching improv comedy and not knowing what to expect!
Again, it was such a tight shooting schedule because we only filmed for a little over 20 days. These days were made even shorter, factoring all the time in makeup, so we had to be pretty specific about what we were shooting each day. But there was so much joy in figuring out crazy things to do and creative ideas on the fly. We loved doing the birth scene and, of course, everybody was really looking forward to the scene on the road, we really had a lot of fun, so it’s hard to single out just one.
How was it working in the natural elements?
Yeah, working on location is always interesting. We found the weather could change at any time, so it was unpredictable. In fact, a couple of the rainiest days occurred during emotional scenes, like one of the funerals. It feels like a stereotype in movies when it rains during a funeral, but this really happened, so nature provided. Our crew was great at adapting throughout the shoot and being prepared for any change.
How was it as an actor wearing the Sasquatch costume and makeup?
Surprisingly, it wasn’t too bad because we were shooting in the fall. There was one very hot day filming in direct sunlight at the berry patch, so we were baking that day, but that was probably the roughest, temperature-wise for us. Even during scenes in the snow, we were comfortable because you’re protected from the elements, probably more comfortable than other people on set! I think the hardest part was walking up hills and things that required a lot of energy. Since the costumes were very form-fitting, we didn’t realise how exhausting yelling would be, I guess it’s something about having to get that amount of air out of your chest, so surprisingly that was more challenging than the weather.
How was it directing in Sasquatch costume, or would you leave directing duties for your brother David on certain days when you’re acting?
A little bit of both, it really depends, but we mostly share the directing. We always do a lot of prep together so we’re on the same page. By the time we arrive on set, we know exactly what the plan is and it’s usually looking at ways to enhance something, or pivot, rather than figuring things out on the day. We’ve been working together since we were kids, and we know how to direct each other, so it’s become second nature.
You’re seen acting alongside a great cast, including Jesse Eisenberg, Riley Keough, and Christophe Zajac-Denek. How was that collaboration?
It was really amazing. In the bonus material on the Blu-ray, you see the boot camp where we all had to get ourselves on the same page, in terms of learning mannerisms, and acting as though we’re in the same family, of the same species. We had to get comfortable behaving like animals, and we also found nuances in what each of us was doing, or the characters we were portraying. Then, you’re less worried about the technical part of figuring out how the sasquatch move or communicate in a certain scene, it’s just normal directing and acting discussions, because we’ve figured out how they walk and ‘talk’, in a way.
With any kind of acting, I think you need to commit to discovering characters. These were such physical roles, where you’re literally disappearing into a costume, so we needed to find our physicality. It required us all to feel comfortable with each other and totally commit because we’d be doing some fun and very crazy stuff. This wasn’t really a movie we wanted auditions for, it was about finding the right people, great actors, who wanted to go with it, but also understood the challenges of making a film like this and embracing the process. Thankfully, we lucked out with an amazing team, and that goes for our entire crew as well.
Icon Film Distribution presents Sasquatch Sunset – out now on Blu-ray and Digital. Order here: Amazon / Zavvi / HMV.
The Blu-ray includes over three hours of UK-exclusive bonus features
-Feature Audio Commentary with directors David & Nathan Zellner
-Filmmaker Q&A at BFI IMAX
-Beneath the Fur: Creating the Sasquatch
-The Creatures of Nature: Behind-the-Scenes
-Habitat: Scouting Humboldt County
-The Road: Anatomy of a Scene
-The River: Anatomy of a Scene
-Sasquatch Birth Journal 2 – Original short film
-Bonobo Test Screening
