Released to as a first as Collector’s Version VHS on February 9, 2024, before becoming available on VOD/Digital Platforms March 8th through Rotting Press, Frogman is the newest installment from Director Anthony Cousins (Scare Package 2019, Fat Fleshy Fingers 2023). Also serving as co-writer with John Karsko (Harm’s Way 2011, Play Dirty 2018), Frogman looks to provide a refreshing take on the found-footage subsection of the Horror genre.
Focusing on the Loveland, Ohio legend, ‘Frogman’ was a phenomenon first spotted in 1955 and has been haunting residents and tourists alike ever since. Taking inspiration from films such as 1999’s The Blair Witch Project and 2007’s Paranormal Activity, the journey follows an out-of-work and disgruntled small-time Filmmaker named Dallas Kyle (Nathan Tymoshuk: When Susurrus Stirs 2016, Lady Dynamite series) and his two close friends Scotty (Benny Bennett: The Harbinger 2022, Marmalade 2024) and Amy (Chelsey Grant: Scare Package 2019, Sanctified 2022), while they journey to locate the legend of local folklore.
With a timeline beginning in 1999, the film opens with a young Dallas on vacation in Loveland with his immediate family, working his camcorder and collecting several lighthearted and sweet moments of his parents and sisters. However, the sunny disposition of the opening quickly falls away, as Dallas hears an odd sound emanating from a roadside forest. Wandering over, Dallas and his sister catch a quick glimpse of the humanoid frog, with Dallas lucky enough to capture a shot on film. Fast forward twenty years later and we meet an older, more disheveled-looking Dallas,
down on his luck after attempting to make it as a filmmaker. A TV show called, Monster Soup, has been ridiculing the fledgling artist for his footage of the Frogman, referring to it as a hoax
and footage of clear fabrication. Angry, embarrassed, and now on a war-path to prove doubters wrong, Dallas recruits his two friends to join him on a road trip in search of the giant amphibian.
Upon arrival in Loveland, the trio begins their investigation, with Cousins utilizing shaky hand-recorded footage to obtain a level of authenticity that has the audience questioning if it really is all folklore; maybe the Lovelanders have their fingers on a pulse. Residents are interviewed, small-business owners questioned, and the tension see-saws as it becomes apparent how Frogman-crazy the town is; shops busting with souvenirs for sale, frog-talk filling the streets, and places to stay holding all sorts of amphibian-related monikers. With both Amy and Scotty being ill-prepared to handle their friend’s obsession with finding and documenting the monster, tempers begin to flare as it becomes apparent outsiders looking into the truth behind the creature are not welcome when the group is intimidated and threatened by members of the town.
Although restricted with a low-budget production, Cousins does not use it as a crutch, but as an asset in Frogman. Using the hand-held delivery to his advantage, specifically cutting off the camera, static-filled frames, low resolution with the HI-8 camcorder that incorporates two methods of night vision, plus characters in constant motion, it all keeps heart rates fluttering and nails chewed. The amateur-style approach allows the audience to travel right along with the trio, in the middle of the action, as the chances for success and danger grow simultaneously. The three friends quickly hop onto the trail of the mucus-filled monster and pursue it relentlessly, their bonds of friendship continuously tested as they face threats from not only Frogman, but those holding onto its secrets as well. Rumors of frog-worship and related tall-tales litter the area and are reinforced by residents certain of the Frogman’s existence and power over the area, as well as the numerous full-length body shots of the green monster, proving to us that it does exist, eclipsing similar films that utilize the free-hand recording method, but fail to present any sort of villain that goes beyond an imaginary image supported through conversations and interviews with characters.
Overall, the film brings the audience so close to the action there are times it seems as though you can smell swamp water and the viscous phlegm that is discharged from its mouth. That said, Frogman is original in the manner in which it does not try to be something it is not. As stated, Cousins is fully aware what his budget limitations mean; using these financial shortcomings
to his advantage to create an environment above and below ground that is presented in a choppy, relentless manner, and as such, the authenticity as well as believability are substantially increased. However, this presentation does allow for some confusing shots in the film, with the camcorder appearing to malfunction at times, as random recordings and images flash across the screen, but this could have been an effect of the Frogman’s wizard-like powers; often said to be telepathic in nature.
In the end, the low-budget of Frogman served only to intensify the weirdness infiltrating moments of horror, causing the audience to not only shrink in fear, but also develop nausea, and even let out a laugh at times that would not fit the cliché mold of humor. A funky, odd, and horrifying journey that consistently pleases throughout its eighty minute duration. Although it will not be headlining any major awards ceremony, the film stays true to its roots and inspirations, and allows imaginations to soar above the forest where Frogman dwells. As a result, it is a refreshing take on a subculture of the Horror genre that has been beaten to death over the years by copycats and a lack of imagination. That is why Cryptic Rock Frogman 2.5 out of 5 stars.
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