Review: ‘Sasquatch Sunset’ Takes An Endearing Look At Bigfoot

Bigfoot. A creature that continues to captivate the imagination of the American public. It’s practically part of our national folklore. However, there’s a dearth of films based around the mythic beast. Sure, there’s the occasional comedy like Harry and the Henderson, but not much else in the way of high-quality Sasquatch movies. Leave it to visionary filmmakers Nathan Zellner and David Zellner to rise to the challenge. The brothers behind Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter, and 2018’s Damsel (not to be confused with the Millie Bobby Brown film) make the ideal Sasquatch movie by simply putting the viewer into the perspective of a Sasquatch story. A highlight of SXSW 2024, Sasquatch Sunset is sometimes impenetrable, deeply weird, and surprisingly endearing.

Produced by Ari Aster, Sasquatch Sunsets centers on, what else, a Sasquatch family. The Zellner Brothers chronicle a year in the lives of a father (Jesse Eisenberg), mother (Riley Keough), child (Christophe Zajac-Denek), and family friend (Nathan Zellner) in the wilderness. There’s a bit of a barrier between the audience and the characters. After all, the actors are pretty much unrecognizable between the heavy make-up. It took at least a third of the film to be able to discern who was who. That aspect is definitely not helped by the fact that the creatures communicate exclusively in grunts. One can only imagine what writer David Zellner’s script looked like.

Another barrier to entry is how crude Sasquatch Sunset can be. For example, there’s a prolonged sequence where all the characters puke in a circle before defecating in the same circle. Furthermore, a running theme involves the insatiable sexual appetites of the characters. In one of Sasquatch Sunset‘s biggest laughs, it’s implied that Nathan Zellner’s character attempts to mate with a mountain lion. This very juvenile, body and sex-based humor is the Zellners filtering out their audience. If one passes the barrier to entry, there’s a sneakily touching story there.

Cinematographer Mike Gioulakis films Sasquatch Sunset in the vein of a nature documentary. Serene landscapes of the Pacific Northwest Wilderness paint a warm tableau. The score from The Octopus Project instills a sense of wonder and curiosity. Similar to NatGeo documentaries, the unknowable creatures become objects of fascination. From there, once the viewer submits to it, the actual pathos of Sasquatch Sunset comes to the forefront. The Sasquatch may only be grunting, but those grunts indicate more emotion than ever. The conceit of heavy makeup fades away. All that’s visible now is the great performances underneath.

Sasquatch Sunset invites empathy for its subjects. Crude humor aside, the astute observer begins to notice things. Beneath their bickering, Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough’s characters truly love each other and their son. As the elements take their toll, their struggle becomes more dire. Moreover, the danger of what will happen to our now-beloved heroes sticks at the front of the mind.

Sasquatch Sunset manages a magic trick in drawing out Honest-to-God tears from their hardships. All I began to want was for the Sasquatch to find peace and make it out as a family unit. Additionally, The Zellners add an element of environmental messaging. As the Sasquatch brushes up against modern society, it’s clear that progress is actively cutting off their way of life. In a film with this many bodily fluid jokes, that’s no small feat.

Sasquatch Sunset took me by surprise. At first, the whole “dialogue-free, recognizable actors buried in make-up” conceit feels like a gimmick more than anything else. However, Nathan and David Zellner aren’t playing some prank on the audience. Sasquatch Sunset is achingly earnest, part of a proud mime tradition in mapping human emotion on the seemingly unknowable. It’s a project that would’ve fallen apart if there were any lack of commitment. Due to everyone’s belief in Sasquatch Sunset, it becomes so much more than a silly Sasquatch story; it’s a genuine testament to the power of the family unit.

Sasquatch Sunset screened as a part of the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival and releases in theaters April 12, 2024.