Chris is a vlogger dies while trying to dig up dirt on killings that were attributed to bears, which he believes were actually committed by Bigfoot. The investigation into his death is personal for Jason, a forest ranger whose wife died in a similar manner the previous year. Jason is forced to team up with Ken, a backwoods sheriff whom he doesn't really like, and all signs lead to them to believe the killer is the notorious sasquatch.
At first glance, this resembles the shot-on-cellphone glut of straight-to-streaming crap that's been flooding the market lately. It was made by a tiny cast and crew on a micro-budget, both the dialogue and acting are a little clunky in spots, and worst of all, it starts off seeming like yet another story about a YouTuber (which has become a whole subgenre of bad horror movies in the 2020s, but thankfully, the found-footage aspect here is fairly miniscule).
Beneath the modern conventions, however, it feels more like drive-in fare from the '70s. It's a character piece that's slow and talky, the humor (mostly provided by an older ranger named Al) is intentionally corny, and it sort of subverts expectations. Also, although this is technically a monster movie, the director opted to only show the Bigfoot in fleeting glimpses, which was probably wise.
I was in the right mindset to get invested in the story, and felt rewarded by the final act, which is where the movie really shines. Despite what others have claimed, I thought it was very well shot, edited, and scored. My one major problem was with the pacing, which could have been tightened up a bit.
People looking for a big-budget, thrill-a-minute flick filled with gore and prolific monsters need to look elsewhere for entertainment. But if you can overlook the various shortcomings, this is a solid little b-movie that's a cut above the other garbage that's coming out these days.
