Film Review – Sasquatch Sunset (2024)

An establishing landscape shot welcomes us to the setting of Sasquatch Sunset with an opening sequence that introduces the world the film is set in with a series of beautifully crafted shots that immediately set the perfect atmosphere for this movie. It premiered as Sundance in January 2024 where it got positive reactions from the critics’ initial reviews. Earlier this month, the film was also part of the selection at Sundance London before coming out in cinemas for the general public. It was also screened at the 74^th Berlin International Film Festival as well.

Sasquatch Sunset follows the titular Sasquatches in a forest in Northern California where the family of four Sasquatch lives. They are made up of a brutish alpha male (Nathan Zellner), his female mate (Riley Keough), her male child (Christophe Zajac-Denek), and another adult male (Jesse Eisenberg). As the film goes on, the audience gets an insider look into how the Sasquatches spend their days as they explore, forage and perform very peculiar rituals to get in touch with other Sasquatches. As the seasons change, we also witness the changes in the characters themselves and their relationship with each other and with the nature that surrounds them.

The concept is interesting with its exploration of the relationship that the characters – and by extension, us in the audience – have with the nature around them including the changing seasons and other animals they share this space with. I particularly liked how the film was split into seasons which allowed for a fascinating separation of time and division into a clear structure from a narrative point of view. This is particularly important as there is no dialogue between the characters, thus making the story harder to understand for the audience without any signposting of what exactly is happening if not for the characters’ grunts and facial expressions.

However, the film becomes repetitive very soon. Once you understand where the film is going and what tropes it holds dear, then it becomes fairly obvious to predict what scenes will eventually follow. After the halfway mark, I could not help but feel like the film was trying to recreate its most iconic and memorable moments over and over, without really bringing anything new to the conversation. While the package may be pretty and some moments may nail the comedic timing, it does feel like this film has little to say in terms of its themes, most of which have already been explored in films like Themes explored already in 2001: A Space Odyssey before.

Its runtime also does not do it any favours as the film ends up feeling incredibly and unnecessarily long. Perhaps it’s because of its gross scenes that become very hard to watch after a while, especially as they become increasingly frequent as the movie continues. These scenes also create a weird tonal shift that I did not entirely understand, changing the overall mood of the film which constantly alternates between humorous comedy, with some really funny moments, and emotional epic thanks to the impressive performance by the lead actors.

Ultimately, this was not the film for me. I am sure it does certainly has an audience somewhere, one that appreciates the raw and gross elements of the film, where its humour lies, and the slight absurdity that eventually comes into play. While some of these may have been wasted on me, I do appreciate the artistry and work that went into making this movie, with its beautiful shots and brilliant acting that still make it stand out even though I will never watch it again. Is it memorable? Certainly, but perhaps not for the best reasons in my case.