Released in theaters widely across the USA on April 19, 2024, as Sasquatch Sunset begins, it could almost be mistaken for a nature documentary; as the audience sees an expansive picturesque forest and then there are the unmistakable sounds of animals. But this is certainly not a nature documentary, David Attenborough’s dulcet tones will not be narrating and the animals in question are not in fact animals (at least not in the traditional sense).
The film introduces the audience to four tall, lumbering and extremely hairy creatures. They are a family of sasquatches, one female and three males, and in this dialogue free film, we watch as they go about their lives together – building dens, hunting and communicating through a series of grunts, growls and a whole other cacophony of noises. As the seasons change, the family of four face different threats whether from predators, poisons or each other. As they wander throughout the wilderness, eventually they stumble upon the existence of humans.
Directed by David Zellner (Kid-Thing 2012, Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter 2014) and Nathan Zellner (Damsel 2018), and also written by the former, Sasquatch Sunset is a surreal Comedy. The sasquatches in question are played by Jesse Eisenberg (Zombieland 2009, The Social Network 2010), Riley Keough (Under the Silver Lake 2018, The Devil all the Time 2020), Christophe Zajac-Denek (Oz the Great and Powerful 2013, Lemon 2017) and Nathan Zellner (Beeswax 2009, Sister Aimee 2019). Whilst the sasquatches do have an element of humanity about them, the actors themselves are completely unrecognizable. If you have tuned in to Sasquatch Sunset with the hopes of easily spotting your favorite actor then you are definitely in the wrong place! Indeed the anonymity of the role was one of the reasons that Eisenberg was attracted to it.
Originally premiering at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, and picked up by Bleecker street for distribution, Sasquatch Sunset feels like a film that will completely divide audiences. On the one hand, audiences could watch this film as an absurdist portrait of natural beauty, what being human really entails and our relationship to nature. This is a film about family, hierarchy and the blurring of lines between fantasy and reality. On the other hand, audiences could see this as a film starring four actors in sasquatch costumes where bodily fluids take center stage and farting is a really funny joke. For some there will be a deep profundity to be found in Sasquatch Sunset and for others there will only be a deep scratching of heads. That is why Cryptic Rock gives it 3 out of 5 stars.
){kind=link}
No comment