Like the beloved documentaries of David Attenborough, David and Nathan Zellner’s unmissable movie is constantly enthralling, profound, relatable, touching, and hilarious.
Over the course of a year, we follow a family of Bigfoot as they traverse the North American forests. As they learn how to survive and communicate, several dangers come to the fore as some very human traits in our mysterious hairy friends come to the fore.
While Steve Oram’s grunt-filled Aaaaaaaah! (2015) was a crass, experimental mess, the Zellners’ film uses the lack of recognisable language excellently. We easily learn the different nuances of the various characters and are drawn to actually caring about their plight since they are so relatable. Surprisingly, underneath the impressive makeup are a pair of big names, Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough, alongside Christophe Zajac-Denek and Nathan Zellner. With no discernible CGI, the actors brilliantly convey the simian-like Sasquatch’s emotions. Their voyage of discovery touches on such elements as procreation, interaction with other critters (occasionally with hilarious and sometimes deadly consequences), as well as the primitive etiquette amongst the group. Initially, we’re unsure in what age the journey takes. That is, until they come across evidence of humans. Firstly, they see a deserted tent and then they’re shocked and apparently distressed to see a road passing through the forest. As there’s no one to be seen, however, this could still be post-apocalyptic. It’s an enigma that’s largely irrelevant, as interaction with Homo sapiens would rob the film of some of its magical atmosphere.
Sasquatch Sunset is deftly directed by the Zellners. It’s a simple premise that rewards in spades. If this were an animated movie, it’d be on par with Watership Down in the empathy we feel for the mythical, missing-link characters. Words are not needed when the results are so impressive and powerful.
SASQUTCH SUNSET has its UK Premiere at Sundance Film Festival London June 8th-9th . Book tickets: Sundance London website
Releasing in UK cinemas from June 14th, with Previews + Q&As from June 10th. Official website
