Maynard Greiger has been running a grocery store and café for years in the small town of Pottersville. He’s also Bigfoot. And it’s up to him to restore Christmas spirit in his small town. Pottersville is a Christmas movie that is anything but traditional. This Netflix Original came out last year and deserves far more positive attention than it received. It’s a fun film that keeps the holiday spirit alive in a unique way and involves a small town falling on harsh economic times, a furry community, and Bigfoot hoax.
In addition to the crazy plotline, Pottersville has an all-star cast that includes Michael Shannon (The Shape of Water) as Maynard Greiger, Ron Perlman (Hellboy) as Sheriff Jack, Judy Greer (13 Going on 30) as Parker, Ian McShane (American Gods) as Bart, and Thomas Lennon (Reno 911!) as Brock Masterson. This unique holiday movie places us in a small town suffering an economic crisis – shops are shutting down, people are leaving, and jobs are decreasing. It’s a familiar theme that addresses problems many small towns are facing all over the country. A bleak picture is painted for Pottersville.
Greiger was born and raised in Pottersville and hasn’t experienced adventure outside of the shop he runs. It’s only when he comes home to his wife, Connie (Christina Hendricks), in the middle of “furry – foreplay” with Sheriff Jack that Greiger decides to let loose. His drunk tirade throughout the town of Pottersville causes a scare with the locals and they all seem to believe that Bigfoot has taken up residence with them.
Rather than revealing himself, Greiger sees that the town’s economy is starting to boom because of these Bigfoot sightings. Bigfoot tours, t-shirts, and food make the people of Pottersville experience a Christmas miracle. Brock Masterson, a TV personality with a show about mythical creatures, makes an appearance and promises the town they will be famous all over the world. But like all false Bigfoot sightings, this one is revealed as a fraud. Things come crashing down for the town of Pottersville but there’s still some Christmas magic that can produce a happy and fulfilling ending to the movie.
Pottersville is a holiday movie about restoring hope in an old community and creating something new to make it thrive. Sometimes our lowest moments can produce beautiful beginnings. Shannon’s performance in this film is incredible. Perlman’s character is different than his usual parts, but he plays the role of Sheriff Jack – closeted furry – very well. The cast have a unique chemistry amongst each other that makes each scene just as important as the last. Pottersville has a very Wes Anderson vibe mixed with a bit of Fargo that makes this holiday movie just what you need for Christmas.
If you like A Christmas Story, Home Alone, or if you’re tired of the same old Christmas film – Pottersville is a must-see. It’s available on Netflix and it throws the rules of a holiday film out of the window. Instead of Santa Claus restoring Christmas spirit, it’s a man running around in a Ghillie Suit with a gorilla Halloween mask and a mission to make Pottersville thrive again. Merry Christmas, Bigfoot!
